Tuck also suggests widening
the menu by asking guests to bring
specific dishes or ingredients to create
the ultimate healthy barbecue.
“Make sure you get loads of healthy
options by asking people to bring
different things, so somebody brings
a salad, somebody brings a vegie dish,
someone else brings a fruit platter and
then you might get the usual things
that aren’t as healthy, like a pavlova
or a rich potato salad, but you’ll have
them in smaller portions when your
plate is filled up with the good stuff,”
says Tuck.
The support acts
While the tantalising scent of sizzling
steaks and sausages may be the star
of your barbecue, there are simple
ways to line your guests’ stomachs
with nutrients via the snacks and
drinks provided.
“So often I go to someone else’s
house and there are chips covered
in artificial f lavours and MSG,
artificial dips with thickeners and
gums and sugars,” says Tuck. “It’s
great to provide healthy snacks,
though, because the first thing we
do at a barbecue is get a drink, and if
it’s alcoholic, drinking on an empty
stomach will increase your hunger
hormones. It also affects your blood
sugars, so you start snacking and fill
up before you get to the main meal.
[Some of the] best things to serve are
a selection of vegie sticks – carrot and
cucumber – with a homemade dip like
hummus. I also blend up raw beetroot
with lemon juice, garlic and natural
yoghurt, which is really healthy and
easy to make.”
Tuck also has a chip alternative
on rotation: making crackers out of
chickpeas, olive oil and a little bit of
chickpea f lour.“You roll it f lat and bake them
in the oven and you end up with a
nutritious cracker which is quite high
in protein,” Tuck says. “If you don’t
have time, get the Fine Fettle Flats
brand, which are awesome – they’re
basically freeze-dried nuts, seeds
and vegetables.”
When it comes to drinking,
instead of plying your guests with
alcohol straight away, serve a
naturally f lavoured mineral water
on arrival.
“I make up a jug of mineral
water with a passionfruit cut in half,
some fresh mint and a squeeze of
lime,” Tuck says. “It’s a great place
to start and if you keep topping
the jug up all night so people can
help themselves, you find the
longer the fruit sits, the more the
f lavours develop in the water.”QUICK TIPS FOR SAFER BARBECUING
- Create a delicious marinade for your barbecue meat, particularly with acidic
ingredients such as lemon juice or vinegar. - Bigger is better. If you have a rotisserie within your barbecue, try cooking whole
chickens or large pieces of beef and lamb. - Wrap small pieces of meat, chicken or fish in some foil, which creates more steaming
and less glycation on the barbecue. - Provide lots of vegetables like fresh salads or colourful vegie skewers to balance the
meats, which are more likely to take on the HCAs, PAHs and AGEs. - Have your guests bring healthy options so your table isn’t laden with food and drinks
bound to make you feel awful the next day. - Provide simple, healthy snack options to get a nutrient boost before the main meal
without filling up too much. - Alcohol switches on the hunger hormones, so offer a non-alcoholic start to the evening
that also hydrates. Your body will high five you tomorrow.