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Healthy BBQ Tips Plus
Unfortunately, food high in fat, sodium and sugar are usually on the grill and picnic table. Fried foods and fatty meats taste good but can put too much saturated fat in your diet if you eat them often or in large amounts. There are other ways you can add flavor to your food, keep reading to find out!
Tip #1. Shake it up with herbs and spices!
These herbs and spices will add lots of flavor without adding loads of sodium:
Basil
Bay leaf
Chili powder
Cinnamon
Cumin
Curry powder
Dry mustard
Garlic powder, not garlic salt
Onion powder, not onion salt
Oregano
Paprika
Parsley
Pepper, black and red
Poultry seasoning
Thyme
No-salt spice blends
Put it all together with this Hot 'N' Spicy Seasoning recipe:
Ingredients:
1/4 cup paprika
2 tablespoons oregano
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
Mix all of the spices in a bowl and store in airtight container. This seasoning mix tastes good on meat, poultry, or fish. Instead of salt, sprinkle some on the food and then cook it as you usually do. Or, mix some with plain bread crumbs and then coat the meat with the crumbs...yum! If you want a little less bite to the spice, add less chili powder, or more if you like it hot! hot! hot!
Print this Recipe
Tip #2. Take the low sodium highway!
What is sodium? Sodium is a part of salt - it also is a part of mixtures used to flavor and preserve foods.
Preparing foods the low sodium way is easy:
Try to cook from scratch.
Start with foods low in salt and sodium.
Use herbs, spices, and fruit juices to season food.
Do not add salt to your food when cooking or at the table.
Rinse canned foods like tuna and canned vegetables to remove salty juices.
Healthy Tip #3. Forego the fat!
Use these tips to choose and prepare foods low in saturated fat and cholesterol:
Meat, poultry, fish, and shellfish
Buying tips:
Choose lean cuts of meat. Choose fish and skinless poultry more often; they are generally lower in saturated fat than meat.
Look for meats labeled "lean" or "extra lean."
Limit organ meats like liver, sweetbreads, and kidneys. Organ meats are high in cholesterol, even though they are fairly low in fat.
Limit high fat processed meats like bacon, bologna, salami, hot dogs, and sausage.
Choosing the "dog"
Remember that some chicken and turkey hot dogs are lower in saturated fat and total fat than pork and beef hot dogs.
There are also "lean" beef hot dogs that are low in fat and saturated fat.
Usually, processed poultry products have more fat and cholesterol than fresh poultry.
To be sure, check the nutrition label on deli products such as hot dogs and luncheon meats to find those that are lowest in fat and saturated fat.
Try fresh ground turkey or chicken made from white meat, like the breast.
Limit use of goose and duck. They are higher in saturated fat, even with the skin removed.
Choose shellfish occasionally. Shellfish has little saturated fat in general, but its cholesterol content varies--some (like squid, shrimp, and oysters) are fairly high while others (like scallops, mussels, and clams) are low.
Buy canned fish packed in water, not oil.
Preparation tips:
Trim fat from meat and remove skin from poultry before eating.
Bake, BBQ, broil, microwave, poach, or roast instead of frying. When you do fry, use a nonstick pan and nonstick cooking spray or a small amount of vegetable oil to reduce the fat.
When you roast, place the meat on a rack so the fat can drip away.
Brown ground meat and drain well before adding other ingredients.
Use fat free ingredients like fruit juice, wine, or defatted broth to baste meats and poultry.
Portions of the above material was provided with the kind permission of the Federal Consumer Information Center and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute - National Institutes Of Health.
See also from Fitness and Freebies:
Barbecue Muffins Recipe
Remove Carcinogens when Grilling Meat
BBQ for 25 Recipe
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