Healthy July 4th BBQ foods

[Charlotte]

Getting ready for the big day. Looking for grilling ideas that are healthy. Not just veggie burgers and veggie dogs. Looking for something healthy and good but that will stand out a bit too. Not too sloppy - has to be possible to eat it in the back yard!

[KenTraver]

Your planning skills are clearly better than mine. I usually don't think about this sort of thing until the panic of a couple days before when I realize it's crept up on me so fast!
When you say not too sloppy, I hope that means that various forms of salad are still ok as long as they can land on a paper plate with a spoon or fork or something like that. Otherwise, what about lettuce wraps/tacos? Filling, lettuce, and a good napkin to help keep it rolled up while you eat (and to wipe your mouth!) give a healthy option for deliciousness without the added carbs and refined flour from a tortilla.

[brightstar]

Get a romaine lettuce, lightly grill each leaf, just to give them some char (you'll see when you taste it!), then fill them with grilled shrimp, shredded lettuce, grilled red bell pepper strips and some pineapple salsa!

[ChefMel]

grilled pineapple slices. They're great with anything pork or with shrimp, or you can even make burgers out of them. Kids especially love them, but they're perfect for anyone with a sweet tooth.

[TaraNorth]

chicken and shrimp are your best meat options for going healthy. Grilled veggies are also amazing.

[Bean]

I bought some whole chickens on sale. So much cheaper than getting them cut up into legs, breasts, wings, etc, So I'm just putting them on the bbq as beer can chickens and that will feed everyone, smells and tastes great, and is so much less greasy than red meat while being healthier than cured meat like hotdogs and sausages. A few salads to go with, and there's an affordable, low-effort meal for everyone I'm having over.

[BabyButtons]

Oh my gosh that's such a tough question. I love the answers. It's hard not to just add multicolored marshmallows to a lot of stuff when it's July 4th. I bought low-fat vanilla ice cream this year and l'm getting lots of strawberries and blueberries. That way, I've got a red white and blue dessert that is low in fat and that has lots of antioxidants and vitamins to go with it. I've got lots of salads too but when it comes down to it, everyone really focuses on the hotdogs, hamburgers and ribs! The chicken wings would be healthy, but i'm pretty sure all that BBQ sauce changes them from the healthy category. Good question!!!

[Bruce]

Grill your watermelon slices for a sec - just enough to put a line on each side - for a whole different experience without boosting calories

[TracyK]

Happy July 4th everyone!

[TroyBurger]

I know this is too late to reply, but we had portobello mushroom caps with teriyaki sauce on the bbq and they ended up being as popular as the beef burgers. They were so good! most of us ended up having one of each. Maybe something to try for your next gathering.