As the weather begins to heat up, so does the grill, and let’s be serious, who doesn’t love a barbeque?  Everything from the atmosphere, to the weather, to the delicious aromas makes these spring and summertime feasts an essential warm weather tradition. Hand in hand with summer comes fewer layers and more bare skin, thus sometimes barbecue foods can pack on the calories. However this does not mean that you have to forego your warm weather favorites.  It’s time to revamp the classic cheeseburger and macaroni salad combination with something that won’t compromise flavor or cancel out that intense workout you busted your butt to complete.  Follow these simple and delicious chEATS to transform any barbeque into another healthy and satisfying meal that won’t leave you feeling guilty. 

The first essential item for any barbeque is the burger, but its time to give it a new spin.  Instead of using the traditional ground beef as the base try using ground turkey breast or ground chicken breast to cut down on fat.  Put the ground meat into a bowl and use your hands to mix in chopped onions, bell peppers, and hot peppers, garlic, and a splash of soy sauce, barbeque sauce or teriyaki sauce for an extra flavor boost.  Cheese is always a favorite addition to any burger so that is the exception here.  Try adding shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese directly to the meat mixture and mixing it in before dividing the mixture into burger patties.  Also, try topping your burger with fresh heart healthy avocado and salsa instead of ketchup.  Lastly, try eating your burger open face using only half the bread of the large oversized burger bun.

The close second favorite at any barbeque is the hot dog, unfortunately dogs tend to be packed with unwanted fat and calories.  Instead, try cooking up some chicken sausages.  They can be found in any grocery store in a variety of flavors (spinach and feta cheese chicken sausages and hot chicken sausages are personal favorites).  

One of the greatest additions to any barbeque is the array of delicious side dishes to accompany your burger or  dog.  Unfortunately, the very popular macaroni salad, potato salad, and coleslaw are generally loaded with mayonnaise, adding tons of unnecessary calories.  Try making a simple Greek orzo salad instead.  Cook the orzo as directed on the box and mix with chopped cucumbers, chopped red bell peppers, sliced and pitted kalamata olives (you can find these right in a jar at the grocery store), cherry tomatoes, and crumbled feta cheese.  Drizzle a low fat Greek salad dressing atop the mixture or drizzle extra virgin olive oil and a splash of lemon juice for a light refreshing taste that brings these summer flavors together for the perfect pasta salad cheat.  And voila, a healthy, simple and delicious barbeque for any spring or summer day!

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