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WHEN the sun is out our thoughts turn to dining alfresco. But unfortunately it is all too easy to consume more calories than you realise when you’re having a summer barbecue, writes LAURA MILNE
WITH high-fat sausages and burgers on the menu, sugar-laden sauces and calorific salad dressings, it’s not surprising that women pack away more than 2,500 calories (500 more than the recommended daily intake) in a single barbecue meal.
But by making a few simple changes it is possible to make the experience a healthier, more nutritious, yet still tasty treat. While traditional burgers are good sources of protein, iron and vitamin B12, they can contain high levels of saturated fat which is linked to increased LDL cholesterol. Scientists have warned that barbecuing meat may increase your risk of certain types of cancer.
The combination of cooking meat over a direct flame and the smoke it is exposed to increases our intake of cancer-causing carcinogens.
Leaner cuts of beef or make your own low-fat burgers with lean steak, chicken or turkey mince.
Burgers made with both meat and pulses are a good way of sneaking extra vegetables into your diet.
Try Waitrose Caribbean Spiced Pork, Sweet Potato & Black Bean Burgers (£3.29 for two) which contain 25 per cent vegetables, pulses and fruit.
Cook meat in the oven first and then finish for a few minutes on the barbecue to give it that smoky grilled flavour. This creates fewer carcinogenic chemicals and reduces your risk of suffering food poisoning.
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