Memorial Day Cookout

It is the first cookout of the year, so let’s make it a healthy one. This Memorial Day you can save up to 1,400 calories and 116 grams of fat by simply swapping some high-fat ingredients at your cookout for some healthier substitutes.

A Memorial Day cookout isn’t complete without hamburgers, so let’s start there. The average hamburger can contain up to 750 calories and 47 grams of fat. Instead, try grilling up a healthier beef hamburger you don’t have to feel guilty about. Mix 1¼ lb. extra lean beef with ½ cup chopped portabella mushrooms, ¼ cup minced yellow onion, 2 cloves minced garlic, 3 egg whites, and a dash of sodium-free steak seasoning. Grill the hamburgers and serve on whole-grain buns. These hamburgers are just as delicious but contain about 500 fewer calories and 40 grams less fat.

Next, whip up a lower sodium alternative to traditional baked beans. A ½ cup serving of canned baked beans contains about 160 calories and 680 mg of sodium. Instead, try a black bean dip that has 90 fewer calories and 640 grams less sodium per serving. Puree one can of black beans, ¼ cup of nonfat sour cream, and 1 Tbsp of chili powder. Top the mixture with low-fat shredded cheddar cheese and melt in the microwave. Mix in some tomatoes, red and green onions, and then serve. A ½ cup serving contains only 70 calories and 40 mg of sodium.

Another cookout staple is potato salad with a mayonnaise dressing, which contains up to 290 calories and 22 grams of fat per 1 cup serving. Try this whole-wheat pasta salad as a substitute. It will save you 130 calories and 20 grams of fat per 1 cup serving. Toss whole wheat pasta with colorful garden vegetables such as broccoli, zucchini, roasted red peppers, and portabella mushrooms. Mix in a little Romano cheese, fat free Italian dressing and it is ready to serve.

Believe it or not, you can even serve a healthy springtime dessert. Instead of serving the standard berry cheesecake, which can contain as many as 900 calories and 62 grams of fat, serve a low-fat version. This Low-Fat Berry Cheesecake will save you 700 calories and 57 grams of fat.

Low-Fat Berry Cheesecake Recipe

Yield: 8 slices

Ingredients:

1 low-fat graham cracker crust

1 block soft tofu

1/3 cup light vanilla soymilk

2 tsp vanilla extract

½ cup strawberries

2 Tbsp Splenda

½ cup sugar

½ cup blueberries

½ cup strawberries, sliced for topping

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375o.

2. In a blender, mix tofu, soy milk, vanilla extract, chopped strawberries, sugar and Splenda until well blended; do not over blend.

3. Pour mixture into premade low-fat graham cracker crust. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until the top appears cooked.

4. Arrange the blueberries and sliced strawberries in design of your choice.

5. Allow this low-fat cheesecake to sit in the fridge for 1-2 hours before serving. Be creative and top the cheesecake with blueberries and strawberries to make an American Flag design.

It’s easy to cook up a nutritious and delicious Memorial Day cookout. All it takes are some simple twists to old favorites. This Memorial Day, celebrate the start of summer in good health.