BBQ on a Diet

I know for most guys when summer comes around that's when the grill comes out. The problem is that for some, the pounds come with summer. So guys, as much as we love our beef and pork products let's consider some healthier alternatives to work with from time to time so that when Labor Day comes we won't be in memory of the size we used to be on Memorial Day.

1. Try turkey hot dogs instead of pork hot dogs. Turkey overall has come a long way in the last few years as a healthy alternative to pork. Turkey hot dogs will give you the same great taste as a pork hot dog, and besides, on the grill, the charred taste will still come out well even with turkey. You can still use your favorite condiments - ketchup, mustard, pickles, tomatoes, onions. For us Chicago people, sauerkraut, sport peppers and the like. I would advise not using mayonnaise since we're trying to make this a healthy alternative, but pretty much everything else is still a go.

2. Try salmon burgers instead of hamburgers. This one is for the fish lovers out there. Salmon doesn't just have to be thrown on the grill as the slices of a previous whole fish. You can make salmon patties hamburger style. Play around with it with cheeses and seasonings and see what you come up with. One thing I'd advise for this alternative is that you can't cook salmon as long as you would a hamburger or else it'll LOOK as dark as a hamburger and be ten times as burnt. Fish doesn't take as long to cook, so keep that in mind if you go this route.

3. Try chicken instead of steak. Please no hate mail on this one. Steak is a BBQ staple, even for me. I love grilling steak. However, you can do a lot more with chicken than you can steak, in my opinion. Play around with different marinades to get a different flavor. Even different rubs will help you with making your chicken taste great. For sides, roasted potatoes on the grill (as opposed to mashed potatoes or potato salad) make sense here. You can still do corn on the cob as a side option here as well.

4. Try turkey Italian sausage instead of bratwurst or hot links. The word on the street is that if you eat some things turkey you'll be able to tell the difference. Well, for some things that's true, but for others it really isn't. I would say this is one of those exceptions. Turkey Italian sausage goes great on pizza, in your pasta, and yes, even on your grill! You won't miss bratwurst or hot links if you can get a brand of turkey Italian sausage that meets your taste approval.

5. Consider more vegetables instead of meat overall. A friend of mine gave me a recipe for roasting vegetables on the grill. Basically what you do is cut up some bell peppers (various colors if you're into presentation), some tomatoes, some onions. Put it in some foil. Give it a little seasoning - salt and pepper should be fine. Then put some balsamic vinegar on it. Wrap it up in some foil and then let it sit on the grill for a few minutes. Be sure to poke some holes in the foil so steam can escape. That's a simple way to cook vegetables on the grill. If you're into shish-kabobs, that's another good way to get vegetables on your grill and cut back on your meat intake.