SHAPE UP
Pounds in the picnic basket?

By Charles Stuart Platkin

Sure, we all know everyone eats a lot at a barbecue or picnic, but how much we really eat is astonishing.

The average barbecue or picnic meal has well over 3,500 calories. That's 1,500 calories more than a full day's worth of meals.

It's not always easy to make "healthy" decisions. Here's a quiz to help you get on the right track:

Which is the better choice and why?

Hamburger or frankfurter?

Hot dogs seem like a better choice, but nobody eats them plain. The best toppings are sauerkraut, ketchup, mustard and relish. Stay away from cheesy sauces and chili, and skip the buns. Two low-calorie bunless hot dogs (e.g., Healthy Choice Beef Franks) with sauerkraut and mustard contain only 254 calories.

With burgers, watch out for the condiments, too. Stick to ketchup, mustard, pickles and veggies for extra flavor — no mayo.

Make your own burger using the leanest beef you can find and toss in mushrooms, onions and peppers to increase nutrients and lower the calorie content without reducing the volume. And, of course, go bunless. Save even more calories with a four-ounce turkey burger (130 calories, 0.5g fat, 0 carbs, 28g protein) or a Gardenburger (110 calories, 5g fat, 6g carbs, 12g protein).

• Plain hamburger (1/2 pound) on bun: 447 calories, 22g fat, 32g carbs, 27g protein.
• Plain frankfurter on bun: 260 calories, 16g fat, 20g carbs, 9g protein.
• Ball Park Bun Size Smoked White Turkey Frank: 45 calories, 0 fat, 5g carbs, 6g protein.
• Sauerkraut (1 cup): 27 calories, 0 fat, 6g carbs, 1g protein.
• Heinz ketchup (2 tablespoons): 30 calories, 0 fat, 8g carbs, 0 protein.
• Gulden's Spicy Brown Mustard (2 tablespoons): 30 calories, 0 fat, 0 carbs, 0 protein.
• Sweet relish (2 tablespoons): 30 calories, 0 fat, 6g carbs, 0 protein.

Coleslaw or Baked Beans?

Baked beans might be slightly higher in calories, but they're lower in fat and higher in protein and fiber. The problem is, baked beans are made with added sugar or molasses. Instead, make your own fresh bean salad with vinegar and lemon juice for only 70 calories (1/2 cup). If you must have your coleslaw, use low-fat mayo.

• Coleslaw (1/2 cup): 135 calories, 12g fat, 7g carbs, 1g protein.
• Baked beans (1/2 cup): 150 calories, 1g fat, 29g carbs, 7g protein.

Caesar Salad or macaroni salad?

Veggies versus pasta sounds like a no-brainer. But even though macaroni salad is usually made with mayo, Caesar salad typically has egg, cheese and sometimes mayo or oil. The calories don't lie:

• Caesar salad (1 cup): 302 calories, 28g fat, 3g carbs, 10g protein.
• Macaroni salad (1 cup): 269 calories, 9g fat, 43g carbs, 6g protein.

An even better bet is a cucumber or beet salad made with sliced onion, vinegar, salt, pepper and just a tiny bit of Splenda or sugar.

• Cucumber salad (1 cup): 48 calories, 0 fat, 12g carbs, 1g protein.

Cornbread, biscuits or corn on the cob?

Corn on the cob is the clear winner if you avoid butter and use a margarine spray instead (one ear with 10 sprays: 69 calories). Biscuits are typically made with tons of butter, so if you must have something doughy, stick with cornbread.

• Corn with butter (2 tablespoons): 263 calories, 24g fat, 14g carbs, 2g protein.
• Homemade cornbread (1 piece, 65g): 184 calories, 6g fat, 28g carbs, 4g protein.
• Homemade buttermilk biscuit (63g): 224 calories, 10g fat, 28g carbs, 4g protein.

PB&J or Ham and Cheese?

The peanut butter and jelly sandwich is a better choice over homemade ham and cheese. And don't forget that peanut butter is a great source of heart-healthy unsaturated fat, while ham and cheese both contain unhealthy saturated fat.

If you're picking up your sandwiches at the deli, watch out. One slice of cheese contains about 85 calories and 7 grams of fat, 4 of which are saturated, and delis typically use three to five slices on a sandwich. Other deli items to avoid on your picnic include high-fat meats such as bacon, bologna, salami, pimiento loaf and sausage.

• PB&J sandwich (2 tablespoons peanut butter, 1 tablespoon jelly): 381 calories, 19g fat, 45g carbs, 14g protein.
• Ham and cheese sandwich (4 slices ham, 3 slices cheese): 576 calories, 31g fat, 32g carbs, 42g protein.

Wine or light beer?

Ounce for ounce, light beer is lower in calories. But most people will drink the whole 12-ounce bottle (110 calories), whereas they might drink only a few ounces of wine (five ounces: 106 calories). Plus, with wine you get the purported protective benefits against heart disease and cancer.

Brownie or apple pie?

Apple pie might seem like a better choice, but they both can pack on the pounds. Try No Pudge Brownie mixes (www.nopudge.com) made with yogurt and cut your calories by more than half. Better yet, enjoy a baked apple made with Splenda and cinnamon (80 calories) or a fruit salad (174 calories for 2 cups).

Charles Stuart Platkin is a syndicated health, nutrition and fitness writer.