I hope all of you have a GREAT Memorial Day weekend and try to stay fit and healthy even with all that grilled steak and fried chicken up for grabs. Here are some tips I found that may help you with your BBQ dillemas.

Dieter’s Guide to BBQ Survival

By Hungry Girl

The average person attending a Memorial Day BBQ will consume at least one beer, a hot dog, a burger, chips, coleslaw, potato salad and dessert. HEADS UP! That meal can easily exceed 1,500 calories. Use your head, people, and don’t overdo it. Here are a few of Hungry Girl’s guilt-free picks and some scary shockers, too!

Amy’s Texas Veggie Burger
1 burger = 120 calories, 2.5g fat, 14g carbs, 3g fiber, 12g protein

Probably the best vegetarian-friendly BBQ-style veggie patty out there. It’s a good size, it’s packed with soy, grains and veggies, and it has that “right off the grill” flavor already. We figure that putting it on an ACTUAL grill couldn’t hurt, though. Load this patty up with veggies and condiments, and chow down.

Guiltless Gourmet Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips
1 oz./about 18 chips = 120 calories, 3g fat, 19g carbs, 2g fiber

There’s no hiding from chips at a barbecue. They’re going to be out — in a bowl or bag, maybe multiple varieties — for all to graze on until the grill fires up. The best way to go is to bring along a bag of these with fresh salsa. They’re sure to satisfy any tortilla-chip-lover, and you’ll have something to snack on while your buddy tries to get the charcoal going (which ALWAYS takes longer than it should).

Bush’s Original Baked Beans
1/2 cup = 140 calories, 1g fat, 29g carbs, 5g fiber, 6g protein

Homemade baked beans are great. Thing is, we’re control freaks, and we like to know what went into what we’re eating. We trust Jay Bush and that wacky talking golden retriever of his, so we’re all about chowing down on these beans. Love that fiber!

Laura’s Lean Beef 96% Lean Ground Sirloin
4 oz. = 140 calories, 4.5g fat, 24g protein

There are some of us for whom going without a REAL hamburger at a cookout is just sacrilege. Since we don’t really need all that extra fat, we’re pretty into Laura’s super-lean ground beef. The especially cool thing about Laura’s company is that it’s all about being eco-friendly and humane.

Barbecue SHOCKERS!!!
Think before you chew…

Fried Chicken
Isn’t there always someone at the party who didn’t feel like cooking and picked up a bucket of fried chicken on the way? Don’t get sucked in! An average fried chicken breast has around 364 calories and 18g fat. Why waste so many calories on one item when there is SO MUCH to sample?

Potato Salad

So delicious… so creamy… and it better be, with all the starch and mayo packed into it! A 2/3-cup serving of standard potato salad has about 300 calories and 20g fat, and that’s a side dish!

Also, don’t forget turkey and salmon paddy alternatives that you can buy at your local Costco. Personally, I’d rather go that route than vegetarian