Heading to a cookout? For the sake of saving yourself tummy troubles (and the extra calories), avoid these not-good-for-you eats.
Heavily marinated meat
If you see a pan of meat swimming in marinade, steer clear. Many marinades are high in fat, salt, and sugar. For bottled marinades, look for something that’s low in the aforementioned unhealthy ingredients, like The New Primal. If making your own, choose extra virgin olive oil, filled with healthy fats. Instead of soaking the meat overnight, poke a few small holes in it and let it sit for an hour or two; just enough marinade will seep in to flavor it, but not so much that you bust your diet on flavoring alone. “Olive oil, citrus juice, garlic, and fresh herbs are an easy way to marinate meat without overdoing the sugar or salt,” says Dahlmann. If you’re slow-grilling a big cut of meat, like a whole chicken, turkey, or pork, consider injecting it with a simple brine (a little salt, sugar, water, and citrus juice) or a mix of apple juice and apple cider vinegar. “It will penetrate the center of a large protein without a lot of calories,” says Dahlmann. “Orange or lemon will give a nice balance of flavor to a lighter brine where you don’t use as much salt and sugar.” Check out these fool-proof guide to grilling chicken, steak, and everything else.
