If you are one who loves to spend time with friends and family over food and drinks in the summer, then this article is for you. Cooking out? I have made a list of 10 healthy meals for summertime cookouts. These meals keep you in good shape whilst massaging your taste buds and making you feel great.
1. Smoked Potato Salad
Now, this is some class. Easy to prepare, but class. Cook this if you are looking to impress some friends. To show them who cooks the best meals.
This meal is similar to a regular potato salad. In fact, it is the same thing; just smoked. With this meal, you have a lot of healthy carbs and oils. Cut them into 2 or 3 pieces so they’ll cook evenly through and get tender.
2. Strawberry, Tomato, and Watercress Salad
Salads, especially fruit salads, are almost always a go-to. And this isn’t even because they taste great and are easy to cook. It is because they are loaded with healthy nutrients.
Strawberries are loaded with vitamin C and manganese. They also contain Vitamin B9 and potassium.
Tomatoes are one of the healthiest foods out there. They contain almost everything you need, including antioxidants. The antioxidant lycopene is linked to reducing the risk of heart disease and cancer.
For the dish, pink peppercorns and some lemon juice and honey make a great salad dressing.
Read: 10 Realistic Ways to Eat Less Processed Foods
3. Baked Salmon
Seafood almost always does great on the menu on the grill during summertime cookouts.
If you have an array of seafood to pick from, you should pick salmon. Like many kinds of seafood in its class, salmon is loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, which have an anti-inflammatory effect on the body, and antioxidants.
They also contain protein and vitamins. A rich protein meal in the summer is a great idea.
To prepare this meal, dress your salmon in whatever ingredients you choose. Put chili pepper. Garlic, salt, and whichever seasoning you love over it, and then place it in the oven or the grill.
Some lemon and honey do no harm.
You can eat baked salmon with a variety of other meals, including Greek Yoghurt. Greek Yoghurt is low in fat but rich in proteins.
4. Grilled Avocado Salad
When a person mentions the grill, everyone thinks about some sizzling meat or fish or poultry. But the fact remains that the grill doesn’t only belong to flesh and protein.
You sure can grill a variety of meals, including avocados. If you want to get the perfect flavor of avocado stuck to your tongue, then try grilled Avocado salad.
Dress the salad in Greek Yoghurt if you want, and have yourself a good time.
Read: 5 Healthy Breakfast Foods That Help You Lose Weight
5. Grilled Watermelon and Skewered Shrimp
This meal happens to be a perfect source of protein and antioxidants, and vitamins all at the same time.
Like avocado, watermelon does well on the grill. The heat and smoke add to it a distinct flavor that will have your guests widening their eyes in shock.
Dress your shrimp in lime juice, pepper, salt, and whatever ingredients you grill with. Then, set it on the grill.
When it is ready, skewer it into your grilled watermelon. Be sure that your skewers are clean and not too sharp, so you don’t injure yourself or anyone.
6. Grilled Chicken
Chicken is healthy meat. Loaded with proteins and healthy fatty acids, you just have to put this meal on the list of meals to eat during a summertime cookout.
You have one of the best tastes in the world if you grill your chicken properly. You have to be careful to grill at the perfect heat so that you get the best out of the meal.
Grilled chicken does well with a lot of sauces. So, you have lots to choose from. You can have chicken with tomato sauce and even with chimichurri sauce.
Read: Everyday Habits That Help You Lose Weight
7. Grilled Scallops
This seems like fancy food when you swipe through pictures on the internet. Seems quite difficult to prepare. But the truth is, though it might be fancy food, it is not difficult to prepare. Exactly why it makes it to this list of best meals for a summertime cookout.
It is also loaded with nutrients and has a very exotic taste.
Scallops are a kind of seafood called mollusks. They can range from large to small and are loaded with antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids.
To prepare grilled scallops, you only need some lemon juice, salt, pepper, and any other ingredients of your choice.
Grill scallops until ready, and eat with a variety of other side dish recipes you choose like rice, pasta, peas and beans, and potatoes.
Read: The Best Low-Carb Foods to Eat This Summer
8. Memphis Style Ribs
Ribs are mostly known for being difficult to cook. But the Memphis-style ribs mark itself an exception. With this meal, you are only expected to bake and then grill.
It’s a bake and grill kind of recipe. Baking slow, under low heat, make the ribs tender, and then the barbeque finishes the job.
Before sticking them in the oven, dress the ribs in the way which suits you the most. When it is done, start to grill.
Serve with whatever sauce you choose. Barbeque sauce is a great idea.
Ribs contain a lot of protein and fat, which is great for you.
9. Grilled Tofu
It sometimes feels as though vegetarians miss out on the summertime cookout fun. You know, with all that meat going around. With grilled tofu, though, everyone has the chance to taste heaven.
This recipe is easy to prepare and does not require too many ingredients. Just your tofu and some seasoning, and you have enough protein to go.
Read: 10 Best Diet Plans For Overall Health
10. Rose Sangria
If you aren’t exactly comfortable with having just wine, then the Rose Sangria makes the perfect drink.
All you need is some dry rose, some brandy, some soda, oranges and limes, watermelon, strawberries, sugar, and whatever fruits you might want to add.
As you must already know, it helps to be creative with these things.
Add all your fruit into the brandy, and do your thing. This is a great drink to have with friends and family.
Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash
