As the weather gets better, outdoor cooking starts to become more popular. What is better than a great barbeque on a nice summer day. That means that your opportunity to un-do all the hard work you are doing with your workouts increases, because barbeques typically aren’t as healthy meals as when you are cooking inside and counting calories and really watching your meals. Here are some tips on trying to help with healthy barbeque alternatives.

Keep an eye on sauces

When looking at where a lot of the calories come from in the typical barbeque meal, you would be surprise how many calories come from your sauces and marinades. Paying attention to the nutritional label when you are buying your next. Many barbeque sauces are high in sodium, carbs and sugar. One tip is to marinade your meat in a re-sealable bag. Put half the portion of sauce, and add some other elements for flavor. Let the meat marinade in the bag over night, and you have made a healthier option that will still taste great. You could also try doing your own simple marinade with ingredients like Worcestershire sauce, Chili sauce, Tomato paste, Molasses and Soy sauce. All provide healthy alternatives to most of the standard sauces you will find at your local grocery store.

Add veggies to the meal

Cooking vegetables on the grill is easy and can add a lot of flavor to a meal. Plus, most of the best veggies to grill are in season during the summer months. Take some of the marinade you are using from our first tip above, and mix an extra bag for the vegetables. Put the cut veggies into a re-sealable bag with the marinade and let site in the refrigerator for an hour before cocking. The marinade will help add flavor and caramelize during the grilling. It adds a pop of flavor that will really compliment your meal. Some perfect veggies for grilling include onions, red, green and yellow peppers, whole mushrooms, eggplant and zucchini.

Pick your meat carefully

Using the leaner cuts of meat will make a big difference in how healthier your grilled meal will be. Although fattier meats typically have more flavor, finding leaner meats to have a healthier meal will help you keep your nutritional goals on track. If you are cooking chicken, make sure to remove any skin from the meat.

Homemade salads

Most people love a good potato or pasta salad as part of their barbeque. A lot of the store bought products are high in fat from all the creams, mayonnaise and various other ingredients. By making your own salads, you can include healthier versions of some of those ingredients, and also compliment the salad with other health ingredients like diced vegetables, nuts and other items.

Watch the size of your portions

Most barbeques are served in a buffet style, with the opportunity to take larger portions that you might normally. Make the buffet style format work to your advantage. If there is a healthy green salad, make sure you load up on that, and reduce other items that might not be as healthy, like chips or deserts.

Pick your beverages carefully

Most people associate barbeques with good food and alcohol, especially beer. The negative impact alcohol had on muscle building is widely known, and is a topic for another article all together. If you are going to have a beer, opt for the light beer. If you are going to have a mixed drink, try and make the mixed drink with your alcohol of choice, and a diet soda as a mixer. This alone can save you over 100 calories, as many regular sodas and fruit juices are high in sugar and calories. Since it is summer, and the heat will cause people to get dehydrated more easily, opting for water or ice tea is a much healthier option, although it might not be as fitting with the fun atmosphere a barbeque can bring.

Add fruit to the mix

One of the biggest sources of calories at barbeques are the deserts. Instead of getting a big bowl of ice cream or those cupcakes, why not opt for some fresh fruit. Some of the best fruits are in season during the summer, so take advantage. Making a plate of sliced fruit like apples, watermelon and strawberries is a great alternative. You can also make a nice fruit salad with some of the yummy fruit that is in season during the summer.

With these suggestions and a few other things you might implement, you are ready for a healthy barbeque season. As you host or attend a barbeque, keep some of these choices in mind, and you are on your way to staying on your healthy track, while enjoying one of the best parts of summer, barbeques with family and friends.