7 Ways to Keep on Track and Stay Sugar-Free During Summer Parties

#SugarBalancedLiving

Have you been asking yourself: How can you enjoy a cookout while staying on track with a sugar-free diet? How do you avoid belly bloat at summer barbecue parties? How can you avoid weight gain in the summer? Well… let's find out! Here’s the low down on keeping healthy and staying low sugar or sugar free during the summer party season!

Summer is a time for excitement. Yet, while summer relieves us from chilly days, provides us with wonderful beach days and outdoor gatherings, it also marks the time when we’re hit with summer picnics and pool parties chock full of buffet tables filled with like grilled foods, ice cream, lemonade, chips bowls, and BBQ sauce.

Cookouts and backyard barbecues are a minefield for those of us who want to stay on a diet - like keto, sugar-free, or paleo - lose weight, or generally live a healthy life.

With platters full of sizzling bratwurst, bread rolls stacked high, salads soaked in high-fat mayonnaise, and ice cream there to cool you down and feed your sweet tooth, summer wellness can seem impossible!

If you’ve worked hard to stay on track or are starting out trying to reduce sugar and refined carbs, or sticking to a reduced or low sugar diet, plunging into the ice pop and grilled BBQ season brings a whole wagon full of new challenges, threatening both new and old health goals…

Even with COVID-19 right now, close social circles and small gatherings have been allowed in many places, meaning backyard barbecues and cookouts are still very much on - just on a smaller scale.

And coronavirus just stresses the importance even more of reducing foods that ruin our immunity including fried foods, bad fats, and insulin wrecking and blood spiking levels spiking sugars, sweeteners, and junk foods like the refined carbs in white breads.

Now of course, summer gatherings aren’t a bad thing... who doesn’t love picnic food?!

Don’t get me wrong, you shouldn't have to be afraid of enjoying a season full of fun and ‘food’ with the people you love. In the thick of the summer heat, you deserve to enjoy yourself.

We just can’t let these cookouts be a sacrifice for our health, as temptations of sweets, crunchy bites, sauces, and splurges become very hard to resist.

All we have to do is find out how to keep the fun rolling and health thriving, without deprivation.

Plus, I have to say summer is a fabulous time to work on your negative eating habits in general!

Summer Flu: This summer we don’t want junk food side-effects - we want to FEEL good, and we want to still be full of energy and life to enjoy our fun in the sun.

Whether you want to stay health-focused and avoid junky foods and drinks without feeling deprived, practice moderation without binging and ease a little of your diet plan and take in the festivities while not completely falling off the wagon, I’m going to show you my steps and thoughtful preparation to successfully stay on track at the BBQ or cookout and make smart choices without feeling left out of all the summer fun and still have a healthy vibrant body this season.

Cause, what’s summer without sunny gatherings, cookouts, pools, and sourly sweet lemonade?

Here are my 7 steps to stay on track at this summers cookouts, block parties, festivals, picnics or beach soirees:

Step #1: Healthy Summer Cookout Food And Drink Options

An oldie, but a goodie, my friends! Before you load up your plate, peruse all your options and take note of what’s there.

Navigate the buffet table. Don’t just opt for eating everything you can see… be picky. If you really want something unhealthy, choose only the food and drink that you really enjoy (no mindlessly piling stuff on your plate) and then go healthy in other places on the plate.

Taking a few minutes to check-in and think about whether you really want something before you put it onto your plate is a great mindfulness exercise to keep you on track.

Think smart and commit to some simple nutritional compromises. If you love potatoes or grilled corn on the cob, make room. For example, skip the bun and wrap your lean turkey burger in crisp Romaine leaves instead. Or if you're craving some patriot dessert, stick with veggies and protein as your meal, and forgo the other starches or sugars.

For snacks, skip empty foods like chips and pretzels and stick to veggies and fruit.

Try to only allow yourself to have one carby thing on your plate. If you want it to be your bun, then have a salad and veggies on the side. Or if you want to have pasta salad, baked beans, potato salad or something of that nature then have your burger with no bun.

Here are some quick healthier options you can opt for:

• Opt For Burger Without The Bun –

Lean meat burgers like a turkey burger with no bun is a great option for a cookout.

• Opt For Kebabs –

While kebabs may have a glaze with added sugars, sodas, and sweeteners on them, they tend to be made from lean protein and veggies which can make another great option.

Ask whoever is grilling at the cookout to either season them and add no glaze, go easy on the glaze, or better yet you can bring along a homemade glaze that you know has no added sugars or sweeteners. The host will always appreciate you bringing something along – no need to tell them it's healthy! ;) If you need a tasty healthy recipe, I’ve put together some yummy marinades for both meat and veggies over in my FREE 7 Sugar-Free Summer-Ready Recipes Guide.

• Opt For Plenty Of Veggies –

Avoid mayo-laden and carb-heavy dishes like pasta salad and potato salad, and instead fill the majority of your plate with fresh summer fruits and plenty of vegetables, and leaving you with less room for unhealthy options, and nourishing you with fiber to keep you full. Fresh veggies like in a salad or roasted veggies (no-glaze) make a great choice.

• Be a salad-snob -

Remember just because something is called a “salad” doesn't mean all gloves are off for chowing it down! Salads like potato salad and macaroni salad are not healthy salads!

• Opt For Fizzy Water And Keep Alcohol To 1-2 Drinks MAX –

Alcohol can not only be a major source of calories but as we all know also is not a good thing for overall long-term health. Limit yourself to one to two drinks by sipping slowly and/or bring a no sugar added beverage to sip on the rest of the time. Great options include unsweetened fizzy water, unsweetened iced tea, or even no-sugar kombucha.

• Opt For Fresh Dessert –

End your meal with a slice of watermelon, and a scoop of fresh fruit salad (not canned) for a refreshingly nourishing dessert.

If you want to find out what is the lowest calorie, lowest sugar alcoholic drink options are, then feel free to grab my Free Low-Sugar Diet Guide To Alcohol + Sugar-Free Mocktail Manual. It’s got everything you need to know about drink alternatives and those better alcoholic choices for those of us with dietary needs or who generally want to live healthier.

Plus, if you want to learn more about what you should do about drinking alcohol when on a clean eating, low sugar, sugar-free, low carb, keto diet, or simply health living lifestyle – well click over to my article with all the answers here!

BTW: Make sure to stop when you’re satisfied!

Before we move on to the next step, I want to make one thing clear: take a second to slow down. Rather than eating until you’re feeling stuffed, eat until you’re satisfied. Retrain your ‘lizard brain’ to focus on your satiety signals rather than mindlessly scraping the bottom of the plate. Be it six bites or a plate and a half, try to stop eating when you are satisfied—not when you are stuffed, even if you’re eating healthy or healthier foods.

Here are mantras and questions you can ask yourself to help retrain your brain:

• Am I hungry?

• Am I saving room for dessert?

• Do I feel thirsty?

• Am I eating just because these foods are around me?

• I don’t need to feel sick just to feel full?

• Have I saved room for dessert?

Step #2: Prepare To Avoid Hidden Sugars

Think smart and get ahead of what is going to be tricking us at the buffet table this summer.

Let’s say you pick marinated grilled chicken instead of grilled BBQ ribs, a cob of corn and salad instead of a side of creamy macaroni, a glass of iced tea instead of soda, and for dessert, you opt for a plain fruit popsicle instead of cupcakes. You may think you’ve done the right thing, eating healthier, eating a low sugar (and relatively low calorie) meal - you’re so proud of yourself. And you should be - you’re taking a step in the right direction.

However, some ideally ‘healthy summer foods’ are actually foods high in sugar. For example, an excellent way to avoid excess calories and added sugars is to identify how calorific your sauces and dressings are on your salad or meal.

A salad may seem innocent at first, but once you pour on those dressings or dips can easily rack up your calorie and SUGAR intake, because store-bought salad dressings are ‘actually’ normally full of sugar to make people who don’t like veggies want to eat them up, thanks to sugars addictive quality's.

Take, for example, Kraft Lite Catalina Dressing - it has 8 grams of sugar in just 2 tbsp!

Find more ‘HEALTHY’ foods that are actually packed with sugar here!

This is why we need to think smart and get ahead of what is going to be tricking us at the buffet table this summer and awesomely I have the perfect list for doing just that, along with alternatives to opt for instead. Click here to check out 7 High Sugar Summer Foods To Avoid + Yummy, Actually Healthy, and Delicious Sugar-Free Alternatives.

Step #3: Eat Before You Go Out!

Avoid "saving up calories" for the party. If you have the mindset of “saving calories” for a summer soiree and go there starving hungry, you’ll find yourself arriving and grabbing the first yummy food you see.

When you show up to a party ravenous it’s nearly impossible to make sensible eating decisions.

Make sure you include good fats and protein at breakfast and be sure to grab a quick healthy and semi-filling snack before you leave for the cookout.

The good fats and protein will stabilize your appetite, and help keep your energy in check, reducing cravings during the day. And be sure to grab a quick healthy and semi-filling snack before you leave for the cookout.

Great choices include nutrient-rich options like eggs, protein-filled yogurt, a healthy fat-filled avocado, or even some turkey slices.

Keeping up your healthy morning routines will also help you help keep your energy in check and keep your body and metabolism moving. If you need some inspiration for your morning routine, check out my blog post on My Favorite Morning Habits for Happy Weight-Loss!

Arriving satisfied will help you to choose foods more in line with your goals and help you break that mindset of “making up calories you saved” earlier in the day.

Step #4: Bring A Dish

Most of the time when we go to parties, we are not completely sure what our host will serve us. Will there be a veggie platter, any melon pieces to keep you hydrated, or any clean protein?

That’s why bringing a healthy dish to the party is a secret weapon in the ‘wellness ninja’s arsenal’ for cookout invites. Bringing along your own healthy dish can supplement normal cookout fare to help create a balanced plate and make sure you have something healthily pleasing to eat.

And it's not only going to help you stay on track with your health goals, but it’s always a nice bonus to go to a party with a dish for the host, even if you’re planning on eating the dish (that’s fine, I won't ‘spill the tea’)! ;)

Looking for some healthy and sugar-free recipes that actually taste good? Click here to check some fantastically yummy options that are sure to please! And… don’t forget to pick up your FREE 7 Sugar-Free Summer Ready Recipes Guide that’s full of the yummy, actually healthy and delicious sugar-free alternatives to some of your favorite hidden sugar ‘healthy’ summer foods.

Step #5: Water… Drink Plenty

Your body needs water for everything - it’s crucial to our existence - and drinking water is even more important in the boiling summer heat!

Sip on 8 to 10 cups of water a day to ensure that you stay well hydrated, and to boost weight loss (since many a time folks can mistake dehydration for feeling hungry).

Be sure you stay away from sodas and other sugar-laden drinks. These will only lead to dehydration, lethargy, and weight gain. And if you feel like you really need a fizzy drink? Just opt for an unsweetened sparkling water instead!

Step #6: Most Importantly Practice Moderation

It goes without saying – moderation is key.

If you want to ease a little off your diet plan and take in a little indulgence at a summer BBQ, but still not fall off the wagon, don’t stress! It’s totally natural to have a little treat here and there. I believe in balance - that’s why I always use the term ‘sugar balance’ - which basically means to be able to enjoy a treat every once and a while, but still stay balanced with nutrition and not fall into an endless craving roller coaster and binge cycle.

And… one important way to stay sugar balanced at festivities is moderation! I can’t emphasize this enough. You need to set yourself a limit which is there to help you avoid getting carried away and ending up bloated, tired, and bummed out.

When you eat in moderation, your body and mind are happy, instead of creating digestive chaos in your belly and inviting unpleasant imbalances to form, like gas, weight gain, depression, cravings, etc.

When learning to moderate, I find that this mindfulness exercise helps:

Try pretending you’re a chef and plan to savor the taste of your ‘cheat’ food or drink, like BBQ sauce, bread roll, lemonade or potato salad, instead of trying to cram down everything you can during your ‘flexible eating’ period. Whenever you take a bite of your moderated portion, focus on the flavors, the way it tastes and makes you feel.

Furthermore, a tip for limiting and keeping moderation is to make sure your plate is balanced.

Again I mention, make sure to keep half of the plate full of non-starchy vegetables, a quarter for starchy vegetables or whole grains, and the remainder should be lean protein.

Try to keep sauces to 2 Tbsp. and top this meal off with a serving of dairy or fruit.

Step #7: Get Moving… Stay Active

Shift emphasis away from food and toward other fun activities, making it way easier to avoid chugging down lemonade, eating sauce coated burgers, grazing chips, crackers, and pretzels and nibbling at cupcakes.

Focus on spending time playing with the dogs, face painting with the family, hula-hooping, and jump-roping with your family kids.

You could even plan ahead and set up a game of volleyball at or after the party - really get creative! Either way, usually there is always something active to do at a party in the summer. Swimming, frisbee, bocci ball, pool, badminton, corn hole, etc. Get social, focus on the game, join in, and have fun!

Also, a great idea is to plan your social events around your movement; perhaps you could get up a bit earlier to go for a walk or do a 15 minute HIIT workout before breakfast.

That’s It… We Made It!

Summertime is a great time for fun and hanging with friends and family while firing up the grill and entertaining – it’s such a fantastic excuse to enjoy the weather and be around friends, and even eat some seasonal dishes.

Although, as we know plenty of cookouts and parties are plentiful with seasonal dishes that wreck our diets and general health like hotdogs, potato salad, ice cream, s’mores, chips, and soda, leaving us bloated, tired and in an endless craving roller-coaster living the tireless, negative yo-yo dieting life.

While it may seem impossible to stay on track with your health goals, keep wellness in mind and avoid binge cycles, when you’re hanging out at cookouts, block parties, festivals, picnics or beach soirees all summer long, let me assure you it’s not.

Summer is a time for fun warm nights and bbq parties, so don’t let that time-old diet conundrum: ‘what should I do about eating at a party’ ruin your diet or fun! #NoDeprivation

These steps should definitely help you stay aligned with your health goals and still have the most absolute fun. Actually, by keep health goals in check, you’ll enjoy the summer even more, because you’ll avoid the lethargic, tired, and bloated body and general mind crush that comes with it.

Excessive sugar consumption can cause long-term damage to the skin, constant cravings (which means to many trips to the dessert table), low energy and a weakened immune system (not good for summer fun), bloating and weight gain (which are no good for hot weather style), insomnia, and the list goes on!

This year we’re not going to let cookouts set you back. We’re going to stay social, have fun, and keep our wellness goals in line, using these steps, which by-the-way none of these tips are hard, they’re super simple to implement!

Using balance, mindfulness, and moderation, we’re going to make healthier choices first.

If you’re finding that moderation and food balance is a constant struggle, don’t worry - I’ve got your back. Most junk foods act like sugar in your body, causing addictive chemicals to cause your endless craving for more scoops of ice cream or another plate of creamy loaded pasta salad.

Sugar is a toxic thing, and excess consumption of blood sugar level spiking and insulin wrecking foods can cause food addiction.

Even though I was addicted to it, I was able to come out a person who can control what she eats and healthier, balanced, and happier for it. Personally, I believe you can still indulge in sugar or junk food here and there just as long as you’ve learned how to be able to control sugar and junk foods and drink intake and have a balanced lifestyle.

If you have problems with food cravings head over to my post on When You Should Stop Eating Sugar + How To Do It, reach out to me and as you know I’ve been through it myself – so I've gathered the right advice we can use to crush our cravings and reduce junk food content in our food, while still enjoying our lives!

If you need help Check out my FREE ‘Ultimate Guide to Crushing Your Sugar Cravings’ Downloadable Guide.

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It’s your turn!

What’re your fave summer foods? How so you deal with cookouts?

Let me know in the comments or on Instagram @itsisabellem using #SugarWithIsabelle!

Have a fantastically fun and healthy summer! See you soon! :)

That’s it from me, 👋

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