Summer Time Grilling Ideas

angelascott919

Hello Everyone

My family are huge grillers in the Spring and Summer. Although they mostly want to have the steak, hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad and other not to healthy things. I want to be able to participate but still remain in my calories for the day. I have been doing really well and don't want to ruin it now. I know I can work off about anything I eat but I don't want to rely on that all the time.

So does anyone have any great healthy ideas for the grill? Especially side dishes.

Thanks

Angela

angelascott919

Hello Everyone

My family are huge grillers in the Spring and Summer. Although they mostly want to have the steak, hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad and other not to healthy things. I want to be able to participate but still remain in my calories for the day. I have been doing really well and don't want to ruin it now. I know I can work off about anything I eat but I don't want to rely on that all the time.

So does anyone have any great healthy ideas for the grill? Especially side dishes.

Thanks

Angela

csingleton24

Grilled fruit is great! We usually do pineapples, nectarines and peaches. I like them as dessert with some yogurt on top.

Sometimes we just throw bell peppers, onions and mushrooms all together with some fresh herbs and grill as a side. There's also grilled romaine hearts for a side salad. Hope this gets some ideas going.

kel9680

I LOVE my grill!! I cook on it every chance i get!

pork chops come out great on the grill, and so does chicken, even breasts. sometimes i'll use a marinade beforehand, others ill just use the basics, onion powder, garlic powder and pepper.

corn on the cob is good on the grill too, i will lightly coat it with a little butter then put the corn right on the grill, you just have to watch it and rotate it around, it will start to brown, you can tell when its done, its so good!

lawrys makes a hawiian marinade, i know its probably not the most healthy choice, but ill use that on chicken, put the chicken on the grill, and put some pinneapple slices right on the grill too, they come out really good!

or you can just do bbq sauce on chicken, i usually cook the chicken all the way, then lightly coat both sides w/bbq and leave it on for just another few minutes

LuckyLeprechaun

I have to comment on the corn on the cob on the grill: one more ingredient will make it out of this world:

Lime juice. You take the lime wedges and kinda squeeze them to get them smushed open, and grind it into the corn, rubbing it all over. this is right before serving, after grilling.

HEAVEN!!! SOOOOOOOOOOOO delicious!! I went to a BBQ and I was shocked at how good the corn was, and I asked them for their secret.

Best of all it negates the desire to smother the corn in butter, and lime juice has so few calories I don't even bother logging it!

GIBride01

I have found most any veggies are good grilled. Personal favs are zucchini, asparagus, corn and mushrooms. Marinate in a bit of olive oil, vinegar, spices and pepper.. Love salmon and shrimp and the grill too. I have never tried lettuce on the grill, have seen it done on tv and it looks interesting!

GIBride01

I have to comment on the corn on the cob on the grill: one more ingredient will make it out of this world:

Lime juice. You take the lime wedges and kinda squeeze them to get them smushed open, and grind it into the corn, rubbing it all over. this is right before serving, after grilling.

HEAVEN!!! SOOOOOOOOOOOO delicious!! I went to a BBQ and I was shocked at how good the corn was, and I asked them for their secret.

Best of all it negates the desire to smother the corn in butter, and lime juice has so few calories I don't even bother logging it!

Ooo! Just thought of something when I read this...grilled corn with lime juice, hot sauce (Tapatio is ) and then a sprinke of hard cheese like parmesan or romano...I have had it at the fair in Del Mar Ca many a time that way and it is Heaven x 2!!!!! Try it!!!

LuckyLeprechaun

that does sound good. Gonna have to try it!!

Hailey

I have found most any veggies are good grilled. Personal favs are zucchini, asparagus, corn and mushrooms. Marinate in a bit of olive oil, vinegar, spices and pepper.. Love salmon and shrimp and the grill too. I have never tried lettuce on the grill, have seen it done on tv and it looks interesting!

Zucchini are my favorite on the grill. I do the same thing, coat them with olive oil and salt and pepper. I cut them in rounds and get good grill marks on them. They come out so tasty!

calabrdm

I love putting shrimp and scallops with just salt and pepper on the grille. Low in calories and tastes fabulous.:flowerforyou:

kel9680

Well I guess when its "jersey corn" time i'll have to get some limes!!

for those of you in other states nothing beats fresh Jersey corn!! IMO

chellebelle315

Whenever I'm headed to a summer BBQ I volunteer to make pasta salad, and then I make it with a light vinaigrette and a ton of veggies so there's more veggies than pasta.

(If you can sneak it in, use whole wheat, or at least partially whole grain pasta...I recently bought the Luigi Vinelli brand of whole wheat pasta and it was excellent....no noticeable texture difference from semoilna pasta)

Here's my favorite combination:

Cucumbers
red peppers
red onion
sugsr snap peas or frozen baby peas
olives(high calorie but its good fat, you can leavce them out if you want)

Penne pasta, balsamic vinaigrette (Newman's own makes a light balsamic that isn't full of sugar)

You can add some chunks of part skim mozzarella (if you use fresh mozarella don't add until just before serving)

If you want to up the protein, and you like beans, add a can of rinsed and drained canellini (sp?) beans. They are so creamy and satisfying.

simple and yummy, filling and if you use twice as many veggies as pasta it stays relatively low cal

EDIT: I usually use these kinds of events as a way to make a sweet treat like lemon bars or brownies because I can have one, and don't have to have a whole pan of them in the house, but if you don't want to have to resist sweets, I would bring an angel food cake and some fresh fruit, or just a really nice combination of fresh fruit to snack on when everyone else is going for dessert.

kel9680

Whenever I'm headed to a summer BBQ I volunteer to make pasta salad, and then I make it with a light vinaigrette and a ton of veggies so there's more veggies than pasta.

(If you can sneak it in, use whole wheat, or at least partially whole grain pasta...I recently bought the Luigi Vinelli brand of whole wheat pasta and it was excellent....no noticeable texture difference from semoilna pasta)

Here's my favorite combination:

Cucumbers
red peppers
red onion
sugsr snap peas or frozen baby peas
olives(high calorie but its good fat, you can leavce them out if you want)

Penne pasta, balsamic vinaigrette (Newman's own makes a light balsamic that isn't full of sugar)

You can add some chunks of part skim mozzarella (if you use fresh mozarella don't add until just before serving)

simple and yummy, filling and if you use twice as many veggies as pasta it stays relatively low cal

EDIT: I usually use these kinds of events as a way to make a sweet treat like lemon bars because I can have one, and don't have to have a whole pan of them in the house, but if you don't want to have to resist sweets, I would bring an angel food cake and some fresh fruit, or just a really nice combination of fresh fruit to snack on when everyone else is going for dessert.

sounds yummy! but i would add some broccoli!! i love it fresh in pasta salad.

chellebelle315

that's one of the great things about pasta salad. Its "vveggie drawer velcro" you can put in whatever your favorite veggies are, or whatever you have and it will be good. :happy:

tig3rang3l

I loooooove grilled eggplant. It's like a steak.

Also, I'll grab a cedar shake from the hardware store (make sure it isn't pressure treated, it'll leave an oily taste), soak it overnight, then throw it on the BBQ and you can smoke salmon

keiko

I do alot of vegetables on the grill too. You can do any kind. I did green beans and garlic and friends were so surprised at how good they were.
I always do extra to add to salads. Or make chicken cacciatore with grilled chicken and vegetables.


With the corn, I use a small amount of butter, lime, cilantro, salt & pepper and grill with it on the corn. I love cilantro and lime.

I also like to make different salsas for a side. Black bean, mango & pineapple, watermelon. With a meat & brown rice or quinoa.

angelascott919

Thanks everyone, I will have to try some or maybe all of these ideas.

It is just always fun to find new ideas for healthy food.