BBQ season can mean it’s harder for people to stick to their diets but not to fear – a nutritionist has deciphered some quick and easy foods people can add to their meal plans and still keep to their eating plans without adding unnecessary calories.
Second Nature nutritionist Tamara Willner, acknowledged that people don’t want to be worrying about their diet when socialising with friends.
She said: “Summer is a time of socialising and it’s important that we let ourselves enjoy these events, rather than feeling restricted by our eating plans.
“There are plenty of small changes we can make to enjoy socialising without sacrificing our health goals.”
So she devised some handy diet tips to avoid missing out on loads of summer favourites.
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She advised foods such as halloumi and tabbouleh salad, greek salad, or veggie sticks with dips are a great addition to any BBQ table.
Be smart while picnic packing
By reducing the number of refined carbohydrates a person is packing in their picnic, they will naturally increase the amount of protein and healthy fats.
Tamara said: “We digest protein and healthy fats more slowly than carbohydrates, which means we feel fuller for longer and might experience fewer cravings in between meals.
“For high protein options, opt for picnic snacks that include foods like chicken, tofu, smoked salmon, eggs, yoghurt, or cheese.”
She recommended to opt for foods such as avocado, guacamole dip, nuts, nut butter or olives to get some healthy fats into a picnic.
