There’s nothing better than rounding up your mates and getting together for a barbecue in someone’s back garden. Long bank holiday weekends give us an excuse to fire up the barbie without worrying about having a hangover at work the next day. Here’s how to enjoy a healthier bank holiday get together.
Limit the treats
Believe it or not, most of our annual weight gain comes not from a steady increase but from those weekends of pure excess. The more overweight you are, the more likely you are to gain body weight (which seems mightily unfair, doesn’t it?).
When you have a BBQ coming up, try to limit treats like fatty or fried foods for as long as you can beforehand, even if it’s just a day or two.
Go for a morning run or walk
The reality is that keeping fit should be a lifestyle and not a fad, so if you’re getting active regularly and eating well most of the time, the odd BBQ won’t knock you back too much.
But if you do have a big BBQ coming up, going for a walk or run in the morning can help to alleviate any lingering guilt you might feel. Either do it the morning of the BBQ, or the morning after to get you back into healthy habits ASAP. If you haven’t time to get out, you can pick a short workout to do at home using the on-demand sessions in The Vault in MAN v FAT Gym.
Choose healthier options
When it comes to BBQs, it’s easier than ever to make good food choices. Sure, enjoy your burger, but pile your plate high with salad, veggies and other healthy options too. Salad and veggies are low in cals but high in nutrients and fibre, and you can still eat a bit of tasty BBQ grub and enjoy yourself while also getting in some of your 5 a day.
A lot of traditional BBQ foods like sausages can be quite fatty, but BBQs don’t have to be unhealthy. Opt for fish like prawn skewers with roasted vegetables, chicken with corn on the cob and fresh salad or veggie skewers with peppers, tomatoes, and courgettes. It’s all really tasty and good for you, so it’s a win, win.
Get some weights in
Bear with us, we’re not talking using weights while flipping burgers. The brilliant thing about using weights as part of your exercise regime is that the benefits of doing so last long after your training session has finished. That means you could be munching on a hot dog while still burning calories from that morning’s weights session. So add in some weights after your morning walk/run and you’ll be feeling doubly virtuous.
Drink wisely
For many, a BBQ often includes a drink or two, and if you’re going to partake then opt for choices that are lower in calories, like vodka with diet cola, a G&T or if you’re feeling fancy, champagne. There are also loads of nice lower-calorie, lower-alcohol beers available these days, so have a look the next time you’re stocking up on booze for a BBQ.
Make sure you’re not drinking on an empty stomach and don’t go overboard – it’ll make that morning-after run or workout a lot harder if you do.
Ditch the sauces
Often it’s not the main food on offer that racks up the calories at a BBQ, but all the little added extras. A serving of coleslaw can have about the same number of calories as a sausage, so if you’re adding all kinds of relishes and sauces to your plate you can easily double your calorie intake without even realising.
Choose a plain salad with a vinaigrette dressing instead, and if you do want to have coleslaw, either make your own with natural yoghurt instead of mayo, get a reduced fat version from the shop or keep an eye on how much you’re having.
