Top five healthy BBQ tips

If you're taking advantage of the sun, you don’t need to go far to enjoy the great outdoors and a tasty treat with a barbeque in your back garden.

A barbecue is also a great opportunity for healthy eating while you're relaxing with your family and friends. Here are our top five tips for healthy barbecues:

1. Check the labels

Limit the pre-prepared burgers and sausages, but if you are going for these options then check the nutrition labels and choose the ones with the least saturated fat and salt per 100g.

2. Make your own

Try making your own burgers using lean beef or turkey mince which will help you to control the amount of fat and salt in them.

3. Choose fish

Oily fish like sardines, pilchards and salmon are heart healthy and can all be grilled on the barbeque.

4. Add flavour...

Marinating chicken, lean pork or beef can be a great way to add flavour and keep the meat moist, without adding too much fat. Try using low fat natural yoghurt mixed with garlic, pepper and dried coriander, cumin and turmeric to create a tandoori style flavour for chicken that will be particularly tasty with baked sweet potatoes. Because of the spices you also won’t need to add salt.

5. ...and crunch!

Vegetable kebabs or corn on the cob will cook slowly placed on the cooler part of the barbeque and turned occasionally. Combine these with some wholegrain bread, rice or pasta salad, or jacket potatoes and a couple of colourful, crunchy salads; and it’s a feast that is good for your health and great to eat too.