{"id":3972,"date":"2013-05-10T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2013-05-10T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/food-a-cookout-plan-to-impress-your-friends-without-busting-your-diet\/"},"modified":"2013-05-10T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2013-05-10T00:00:00","slug":"food-a-cookout-plan-to-impress-your-friends-without-busting-your-diet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/food-a-cookout-plan-to-impress-your-friends-without-busting-your-diet\/","title":{"rendered":"A Cookout Plan to Impress Your Friends Without Busting Your Diet"},"content":{"rendered":"
We're at the halfway point of summer, and you're just getting your grilling groove on. Now it's time to spice it up a little bit—just when your friends are starting to think they know what to expect at your barbecue.<\/p>\n
Health and taste are not mutually exclusive, and I never settle for just one or the other: When I cook, I need both. And for a creative summer cookout, you really can have it all—food that's delicious but still waistline-friendly.<\/p>\n
Create a signature drink<\/strong> Dress up your burger<\/strong> Next, forgo the neon-orange cheese slices and replace them with a more interesting, lower-fat alternative—shaved Parmesan, reduced-fat Swiss, or just a sprinkling of feta, for example. And for a higher fiber option, replace your white-flour bun with a toasted whole-grain English muffin.<\/p>\n For a red meat<\/a>–free alternative, throw some herbed turkey burgers on the grill too. My favorite recipe<\/a> combines turkey meat (I use 7% fat) with chopped red and yellow peppers, cumin, chili powder, Tabasco and Worcestershire sauces, and salt and pepper. Offer up assorted mustards in miniature serving dishes for interesting flavor.<\/p>\n
You don't have to be an experienced bartender to whip up a classy cocktail; just a few added touches will really refresh and impress your guests. It can be something as easy as crushing raspberries in your favorite lemonade, serving it over ice, and garnishing with mint. In alcoholic beverages, cut down on liquor by focusing on fresh ingredients like berries and pomegranates instead (see Low-Cal Cocktail recipes from Health<\/em> magazine).<\/p>\n
I'm not saying that you shouldn't serve the classic burger, but do make sure the one you make is perfect. When forming patties, make sure the burger is relatively flat with even ends. This ensures even cooking throughout, prevents dry patches, and keeps your burger from shrinking up into a round, soft ball.<\/p>\n