LOW-CALORIE BBQ AND GRILLED RECIPES YOU NEED TO TRY

Most people bring out their barbecues once the summer season begins. There’s a variety of grilled dishes you can enjoy during this time. However, if you’re on a low-calorie diet, you might feel hesitant. After all, most traditional BBQ dishes are high in calories and carbohydrates. Don’t be discouraged. Here are three low-calorie BBQ and grilled recipes you can try. They pack a lot of flavours, and you’ll feel good because you didn’t stray from your low-calorie diet.

THESE LOW-CALORIE BBQ AND GRILLED RECIPES WILL BE YOUR NEW FAVOURITES

1. GRILLED CAJUN CHICKEN

Grilled Cajun chicken is a simple dish to prepare. Nevertheless, you’ll be treated to a wonderful blend of different spices. You can pair this dish with spicy tomato salsa, dirty rice or some coleslaw.

This recipe serves four people. Each serving has 170 calories, 7gm total fat, 2gm saturated fat, 27gm protein, 360mg sodium and 75mg cholesterol. Here are the ingredients you’ll need:

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, halved
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 dried thyme leaves
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano leaves
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Heat grill to medium.
2. Combine salt, garlic powder, thyme leaves, oregano leaves, pepper, paprika and cayenne in a small bowl. Mix all ingredients.
3. Brush oil on all sides of chicken breasts. Sprinkle with the seasoning mixture.
4. Place chicken on the grill and cook for 10 to 12 minutes. Flip once to cook the other side. The chicken is cooked once tender, and juices are clear. Serve.

2. GRILLED SIRLOIN SKEWERS

If you still want to enjoy some meat during your BBQ, don’t hesitate to try this recipe for grilled sirloin skewers. The mix of different flavours makes for a tasty meal. This recipe serves eight people.

Each serving (2 skewers) has 217 calories, 12.4gm carbohydrates, 25.5gm protein, 7.2gm fat, 2.4gm saturated fat, 3.2gm fibre, 69mg cholesterol, 768mg sodium and 3.8mg iron.

Ingredients:

• 900g boneless sirloin steak, cut into 48 one-inch pieces
• 4 peaches, cut into eight wedges
• 2 small red onions, cut into eight wedges
• 2 large red bell peppers, cut into eight pieces
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 3/4 tbsp cracked black pepper
• 3 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp olive oil
• cooking spray

Directions:

1. Preheat grill. Coat grill rack with cooking spray.
2. Combine steak, peaches, onions, bell peppers, cumin, 1 1/2 tbsp black pepper, 2 3/4 tsp salt in a bowl. Toss to mix all the ingredients.
3. Alternately, place 3 steak pieces, 2 peach wedges, 1 onion wedge and 1 bell pepper onto skewers. This will make 16 skewers.
4. Place sirloin skewers on rack and grill for six minutes or until steak pieces are tender. Turn to cook the other side.
5. Transfer skewers to a platter. Let stand for 5 minutes.
6. For the sauce, combine chopped parsley, garlic, vinegar, olive oil, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper in a small bowl. Whisk all ingredients. Drizzle over sirloin skewers. Serve.

3. GRILLED SWEET POTATO WEDGES

Potatoes are a staple side dish at any BBQ. If you’re on a low-calorie diet, you can switch out regular potato fries with sweet potato wedges. Apart from a lower calorie count, sweet potatoes are also rich in vitamin C, beta-carotene, potassium and vitamin B6. Thus, grilled sweet potato wedges are a much healthier option.

This recipe serves three people. Each serving has 204 calories, 38gm carbohydrates, 15gm sugar, 6gm fibre, 5gm fat and 4gm protein.

Ingredients:

• 3 large sweet potatoes
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

1. Place sweet potatoes in large pot with salted water. Bring to a boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Drain liquid and allow potatoes to cool.
2. Slice potatoes lengthwise to create wedges.
3. Mix olive oil, thyme, salt, pepper and cinnamon in a small bowl. Brush mixture on potatoes.
4. Heat grill to medium-high. Brush a light layer of oil on grill rack. Grill potatoes for 3-4 minutes or until grill marks appear. Flip and cook the other side of the potatoes. Make sure that they’re cooked through. Serve.

One of the best things to do in the summer is to head to your backyard and have some BBQ. Despite it being a traditional summertime activity, you don’t have to stick to staple dishes which are usually high in calories and carbohydrates. If you’ve made the switch to a healthier diet, you don’t have to miss out. There are a lot of healthy dishes you can cook on the barbie. Try out these three low-calorie BBQ and grilled recipes for a start.