Great ideas for a healthy Summer BBQ

It’s summer, and that means BBQ season is in full swing. If you’re grilling out, it’s super easy to make delicious, flavorful meals that include plenty of healthy foods to eat. 

A healthy grilled meal should include a combination of lean protein, like chicken or fish, along with some low-calorie, fiber-rich veggies. And grilled fruits make an excellent dessert! You should also add some side dishes that are rich in healthy, complex carbs, like quinoa or brown rice. Finally, you’ll want to choose beverages that are low in sugar and calories but still refreshing and full of flavor.

Here are some of our favorite grilled recipes for healthy eating. You can make one or two of your favorites or grill them all up at a healthy feast that will please omnivores and vegetarians alike!

Italian chicken breasts

These easy, no-fuss grilled chicken breasts are loaded with flavor simply from using Italian dressing as a marinade. Paired with a salad and breadsticks, they make a simple and summery meal. They’re also lean and loaded with protein.

Ingredients:

• 5-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

• 1 bottle of Italian salad dressing

Steps:

1. Place the chicken breasts in a large bowl or dish and pour the Italian dressing over them. Marinate in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours, preferably overnight.

2. Grill the chicken breasts until each side is browned, and the breasts have an internal temperature of 165F.

Teriyaki shrimp skewers

Shrimp is another great protein source, and it cooks up great on the grill. For this recipe, you’ll want large, peeled, and deveined shrimp and your favorite bottle of Asian-style marinade. You’ll also need some metal or bamboo skewers. If you go with bamboo, make sure to soak them in water before grilling to keep them from burning.

Although most premade marinades are high in salt, only a little bit of marinade will stick to the shrimp. Try pairing these shrimp skewers with grilled asparagus and brown rice for a delicious summer meal.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs large peeled and deveined shrimp

• 1 bottle of Asian-style or Teriyaki marinade

Steps:

1. Place the shrimp in a large bowl and pour the marinade over them. Allow the shrimp to marinate for 2-3 hours in the fridge.

2. Place 4-6 shrimp on each skewer.

3. Grill the skewers until the shrimp is fully cooked and pink, flipping at least once so both sides are cooked evenly.

Grilled fruit

For a perfect dessert, try these grilled fruits that are some seriously healthy foods to eat. You can make one or all of them, but we included several fruits that do well on the grill. When cooked, the natural sugars in these fruits caramelize, developing a rich flavor and a crispy crust. The best fruits for the grill are firm and possibly even just slightly underripe so they won’t fall apart.

Try drizzling the grilled fruits with honey to take the sweetness over the top while still keeping it healthy.

Ingredients:

• Watermelon slices

• Peaches, halved and pitted

• Pineapple, sliced

• Apples, sliced

• Bananas, peeled and cut in half longways

• Grapefruit, cut in half

Steps:

1. Place the fruits on a hot grill and grill them until the sugar caramelizes on one side, then flip and repeat. Be careful not to burn the fruit.