Planning a Picnic Cookout Menu

Summer in many places will be coming to an end before we know it and for most  it will be time to pack up the picnic baskets and grills until next season.  You still have some time so lets look at some options for planning a picnic cookout menu.   Hubby and I love to grill all year round even in the snow so all these ideas are perfect for us.  Please welcome this guest post/news release by Pirate Brands (one of my favorite companies!)

Healthy Barbeque Tips Hot Off the Grill

Pirate Brands Nutrition Expert Offers Healthy Tips For Your Summer Gathering

Sea cliff, N.Y. (July 26, 2010) – Summertime is synonymous with barbeques and we are in the thick of it right now!  Grilling is a great healthy way to cook and a great way to bring family and friends together.  One of the only ways people can go wrong at these outdoor occasions is to select unhealthy meats, snacks and sweets.

Luckily, Emily Whelan Anschlowar, MS, RD, the in-house nutrition expert for Pirate Brands (makers of all-natural snacks including Pirate’s Booty), has created tips for your readers to throw a healthy, but delicious barbeque this summer.

*  Go Lean, or go home. Instead of a fatty New York strip steak or pork chop, select lean meats like chicken (sans the skin), top sirloin or pork tenderloin.  Grill up burgers using lean ground turkey or bison.  Fish is also delish on the barbie!  For meatless meals try veggie burgers or Portobello mushrooms.

* Make sure to veg out. Grilling veggies is not only healthy, but the process really brings out the natural flavors and juices.  Some great grilled vegetables include corn, zucchini, eggplant and bell peppers.  Shish kabobs are always a hit as they’re fun to make and eat with the family!

* Don’t forget about the snacks. Greasy fried potato chips and neon orange cheese puffs are always barbeque staples.  A great alternative to fried potato chips is Potato Flyers – deliciously baked all-natural potato chips that have half the fat and a quarter less calories than the leading potato chip brand.  A smart swap for cheese curls is Pirate’s Booty, which is baked, all-natural puffed rice and corn that is lower in calories, but high in taste.  Both products are also trans-fat and gluten-free!

* Commit to low-calorie condiments. A barbeque is not a barbeque without macaroni and potato salad.  Just swap out fatty mayo for Greek yogurt in your favorite recipe – you won’t only lose on the fat and calorie intake, but you’ll gain in nutrition, as yogurt is packed with calcium, protein and probiotics.  Also, try using guacamole, pesto and tomato sauce in place of store bought condiments, which are usually all additives with no actual food.

* Sip your way slim and stay hydrated. Stay away from drinks high in sugar and that contain caffeine like soda.  Research shows that caffeine actually dehydrates you – that’s the last thing you want while having fun in the sun!  Your best bet is to opt for water or a low-calorie flavored water.

* Savor that sweet tooth. Fruit is nature’s candy and should not be over looked when it comes to the grill!  Banana, mango, pineapple and peaches are all delicious when grilled.  Pair the fruit with a scoop of frozen yogurt and a drizzle of honey and you’re in for a real treat!

At Pirate Brands, we have been creating healthier treasures since 1987 with the belief that you shouldn’t have to “snackrifice” taste for health…Arrr!

Potato Flyers are deliciously baked potato chips that have half the fat and a quarter less calories than the leading potato chip brand.  Unlike other baked chips, which can be cardboard-like and lacking flavor, Potato Flyers are baked with pressure, which makes them crisp and tasty, proving that you don’t have to “snackrifice” taste and fun for health when it comes to your potato chip.  Like all Pirate Brands snacks, Potato Flyers are all-natural, trans-fat and gluten free and provide a first-class crunch.  Plus, the chips are only 120 calories for a one ounce serving.  Potato Flyers come in Original, Sour Cream & Onion, Homestyle Barbeque and Sea Salt & Vinegar flavors.

Don’t just take it from us!  Potato Flyers won the “Best of Expo 2010” Gold Award in the “Best New Line” category at Natural Products Expo West.

Pirate’s Booty is a deliciously baked, all-natural snack made from puffed rice and corn.  Pirate’s Booty is also gluten and trans-fat plus, only 130 calories per serving.  Pirate’s Booty comes in great flavors like Aged White Cheddar, Sour Cream & Onion, New York Pizza, Veggie, Barbeque and Sea Salt & Vinegar.

Pirate Brands

Pirate Brands, a leader and manufacturer of all-natural snacks, is located in Sea Cliff, NY and has been creating healthy treasures since 1987.  The company was founded on the belief that you shouldn’t have to “snackrifice” taste and fun for health.  Pirate Brands produces deliciously baked, all-natural, trans fat and gluten free snacks that include Pirate’s Booty, Potato Flyers, Smart Puffs and Tings.  Potato Flyers also won the “Best of Expo 2010” Gold Award in the “Best New Line” category at Natural Products Expo West.  Pirate Brands’ snacks are free from fryers and ingredients you can’t pronounce, Arrrrrr.  Products are sold in the US.  For more information visit: www.piratebrands.com

Thank you Pirate Brands!  I’m looking forward to sampling the Potato Flyers.

If you were planning a picnic cookout menu what would you include?

P.S. I reviewed the Pirate Brands Pirates Booty a while back if you would like to read about it.