Get everybody moving.
Ah, summer! It’s time to kick back and get together at backyard bashes, picnics in the park and parades on the Fourth of July. Here are some tips on how to keep those celebrations as healthy as they are fun.
Organize gatherings around activities that get guests on their feet. “Explore a local trail together or, if kids are attending, head out on a neighborhood scavenger hunt,” suggests Stephani Knisley, RD, LD, a registered dietician at Kettering and Sycamore medical centers. “Play active games, maybe soccer in a nearby field or croquet or volleyball in your backyard.”
Serve thirst-quenching, crowd-pleasing drinks.
Beat summer heat by rethinking drinks. Knisley advises that you skip sugary sodas and offer pitchers of ice-cold water instead. Add thinly sliced lemons, limes, watermelon or strawberries for flavor.
Pile on fresh produce.
Serve family and friends just-picked summer fruits and vegetables. Fresh, in-season produce is at its peak in flavor and nutrition, so be ready for requests for seconds. Think veggie kabobs, leafy green salads and big bowls of cut-up fruit. “If you are on the go, easy-to-carry foods like carrot sticks, red pepper strips, cucumber slices, or broccoli or cauliflower florets are another great option,” Knisley says.
Keep uninvited guests away.
Don’t let disease-causing bacteria contaminate your food at outdoor gatherings. Place perishable foods—such as burgers, deviled eggs and potato salad— in a well-insulated cooler with plenty of ice or freezer gel packs, and keep the cooler in the shade. Bacteria multiply rapidly in warm temperatures. “Carry wet wipes with you so you can easily clean hands or surfaces on the run,” says Knisley.
Inspect your grill.
Outdoor gas grills cause thousands of home fires every summer. So before you fire up the grill for the summer’s first feast, be sure it’s working right and