5 tips for a healthier summer barbecue

Contrary to popular belief, barbecues don't have to be a glut of fatty burgers, sausages, creamy dips and crisps giving you a fat and salt overdose. With a few clever food choices, they can actually be healthy.

Barbecues can actually be a good way to cook pieces of meat as they don't sit in their own fat, while the char-grill effect gives the food a unique flavour, so you don’t need to add salt.

Here are some food choice tips that will set your BBQ menu apart from the crowd, plus ideas for healthier ways to prepare the food:

Go for small thick steaks rather than larger thin ones, as this reduces the surface area for char-grilling.

Lean beef steaks are only 6 percent fat and are rich sources of protein, iron and zinc.

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Remove the skin from chicken legs to lower the saturated fat content. Skinless chicken is virtually all protein and no fat. It also provides potassium and some B vitamins.

If you have time, marinade overnight to add plenty of flavour. Try mixing some honey with balsamic vinegar, lime juice and chilli flakes, coat the chicken and cook for 30 minutes, making sure the chicken is thoroughly cooked through.

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Halloumi cheese is a great BBQ food for vegetarians as it doesn’t melt and keeps its shape and texture.

Thread chunks of cheese, alternating with button mushrooms, chunks of peppers and thick slices of courgette, onto skewers and drizzle with a little olive oil.

Place on the barbecue first or away from the meat to avoid contamination. Cook for 20 minutes. The cheese is fairly low in fat and a rich source of calcium. The peppers provide vitamin C and beta-carotene while the courgettes are a good source of folate.
 

The best fish for a BBQ is something meaty like a tuna or salmon steak. Salmon and fresh tuna are rich in omega 3 fats, which are good for heart health.

Brush the steaks with a little olive oil and place straight on to the barbecue. It's best to cook them first before the BBQ gets too hot, but make sure they're cooked all the way through. They‘ll need around 15 minutes.
 

Corn-on-the-cob works well on the BBQ and is a good source of fibre, potassium, and magnesium. Wrap them in foil and just let them cook for about 15 minutes until they are tender.

Alternatively, brush with olive oil, sprinkle with a little paprika (instead of salt) and barbecue for about 10 minutes.

For a BBQ to impress, order the most naturally reared, fully matured, premium grass-fed beef here.

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