Cookout

cheeksv

I had this idea and my sister said no to it. I might go through with it on my own anyway because with BBQ season in full swing I would like to go to one and know I can eat and not be scared of eating unhealthy. I am sure this might have been posted before but here it goes.

Host a cookout but have a few rules and tell the guests it is a healthy cookout aimed for fun and fitness!

Rules ( short and sweet)
- No soda or sugary unhealthy drinks and if needed low calorie beer
- encourage guests to bring a dish to pass but! that dish has to be under 100 calories per serving.( try and keep track so everyone doesn't bring a salad and direct them to websites like hungry girl etc that will give low cal recipes or maybe ahem MFP?)
-Have some active things to do, kan jam, bacci ball, volley ball anything that will encourage people to get up and move.
- Wheat buns or no buns instead of the usual white.
- if you are playing grill master, Use smaller portions, and be creative, ground turkey burgers, portabello mushroom burgers, low fat ground beef!

I am sure there could be more fun ideas added to this I hope it inspures some to have their own cookout free of diet woe.

rwd5046

My friends around home would never go for this but they sure could stand to. Good idea.......it would work better if everyone had similar goals.

Artemis_Acorn

I think it's a great idea to have a BBQ where you know you can go and not be afraid of eating unhealthy, but what you're describing really does force the issue on people who may not like having the issue forced. You could do a slight modification of this idea and have a great outcome - just make sure that there is PLENTY of healthful food on hand. A person doesn't have to have some of everything to enjoy themselves. As long as there are enough options to provide a full meal for YOU, do you care if there are a few more decadent foods as well? In my experience, most people will add some healthy items to their plate if they are available and appear tasty, regardless of their disposition toward 'eating healthy'.

Grilled veggie kabobs, veggie trays, melons and other fruit can co-mingle quite nicely with potato salad, cake and chips on a buffet table. There is no reason you can't have full fat dressings AND more sensible options. Corn on the cob will never be out of place at a BBQ, nor will baked beans (which can be made very healthfully). Even potato salad can be improved on with low-fat mayo. I liked your thoughts on what to grill, but you could add to that some low-fat hot dogs (Hebrew National are good), chicken breasts, salmon fillets etc. You will be showing some people the light!

Many people have a love/hate relationship with food, and associate 'eating healthy' with deprivation or not having a good time, so show them a good time! If it were me, I would invest in some horseshoes and a croquet set too - they get people up and moving but aren't "sweaty" sports. Frisbee golf is a hoot too if you have a big piece of property.

I hope you find a way to do it. If your sister decides that it will be a hit socially, she might be more open to doing it together.

Good luck!

eating4balance

That would be awesome!

You could even have games where you guess the number of calories in dishes (fattening and lightened versions).

And there could be a contest for the lowest calorie or most nutritious food!