We aren’t here to tell you to turn down all that your BBQ has to offer, because, well, burgers are life.
However, if fat loss is your goal, it’s important that you are mindful of your intake to ensure you maintain a consistent calorie deficit. One huge blowout at a BBQ can undo all of your hard work from throughout the week, leaving you feeling demotivated.
Below we’ve listed a few simple tips to see you through the BBQ season:
Be mindful of your calorie intake during the rest of the week
Keeping this really simple – if you know you are going to a BBQ, save yourself some calories for it. This can be achieved by having generally smaller portions throughout the day than you would usually. We don’t mean starve yourself all week, this is not advisable and you are likely to binge upon arrival if this is the case. However, to lose fat you need to be in a consistent calorie deficit throughout the week. Some of the team here at FFF use intermittent fasting to manage their calorie deficit, but that’s a story for another blog post…
Liquid calories
Alcohol is often described as ‘empty calories’ as it is calorie dense and easy to consume in large amounts over a short period of time. Not to mention, as you begin to feel a little tipsy, your drunk alter-ego might have a little less willpower than you. The best thing to do in these situations is stick to lower calorie soft drinks, or water, with a few alcoholic beverages if desired. A beer can total up 220 calories, whereas a slimline gin and tonic amounts to only 70 calories. However if you really want the beer, just have one beer. It’s all about prioritising what is most important and where you want your calorie intake to come from. A great way of slowing down your alcohol intake is by taking a glass of water in between each alcoholic beverage.
Opt for leaner protein
Burgers, sausages and chicken wings all taste great on a bbq but they are very calorie dense foods. You’re best to opt for leaner proteins such as chicken or prawns. Better yet, bulk these out with grilled veggie skewers to provide yourself with low calorie density volume. Stack them with peppers and courgettes, pineapple and mushrooms – which not only look Instagram friendly, they are super tasty too! If you do want burgers for your BBQ, making your own burgers with less than 5% fat mince can be great (and just as tasty!).
Top tip: Marinade the protein overnight for extra flavour!
Bring your own sides
It can be tricky eating your own food at a friends BBQ, but get in everyone’s good books by bringing along your own sides to share. 100g of coleslaw can rack up 260 kcals. Try our FFF coleslaw here to save yourself the calories and the additional saturated fat!
Salads are also a great addition to any BBQ table.Try out our fig and apricot salad recipe here – a complete game changer.
Don’t be afraid of events like these over the Summer; you don’t need to turn down social occasions to hit your goals. It’s all about prioritising and being mindful.
Hope you are all enjoying the sunshine!
FFF
