Posted on: Wednesday, June 1, 2005

SHAPE UP
Ways of avoiding BBQ bulge

By Charles Stuart Platkin

We eat differently during the summer. We're outdoors more, so we're grilling, picnicking, drinking, hanging around and sometimes eating on the run, all of which can contribute excess calories. The following tips can help you redo some of those fattening summer meals without sacrificing taste.

BARBECUE SPARERIBS

Typically made with sugar, barbecue sauce, honey and other fattening extras, six medium ribs can have more than 1,000 calories.

Nutrition Fix: First of all, use babyback ribs; they're the smallest, which helps with portion control. Place them on the grill without any barbecue sauce; just season with kosher salt, fresh pepper and garlic powder. Cook for 30-40 minutes. Serve with barbecue sauce or hot sauce on the side. If you must have regular ribs, trim off the visible fat and sauce lightly.

FRIED CHICKEN

Deep-fried chicken with the skin can be very caloric. Just one 3.5-ounce fried breast has about 250 calories, and one drumstick with skin has about 200 calories.

Nutrition Fix: Dunk skinless chicken into a bowl of beaten egg whites and then into a bowl of bread crumbs. Coat the pieces lightly with cooking spray and bake for 30-45 minutes at 350-400 degrees. This saves more than 75 calories per piece.

BURGERS

A 6-ounce burger has about 500 calories without the bun. Mayo (1 tablespoon) and cheese (a deli slice) will add about 100 calories each. Don't forget about the bun: It has about 120-150 calories.

Nutrition Fix: Skip the cheese. Use lettuce and tomatoes instead. Stick to ketchup, mustard, pickles and veggies. Use lean ground beef instead of regular, and spray the pan with cooking spray to compensate for the lack of fat. If using a grill, don't spray on an open flame.

Give your burger extra texture and flavor by mixing the meat with chopped mushrooms, water chestnuts, peppers and onions. It's the same size burger, but it will be much lower in calories.

For even fewer calories, you can make white-turkey burgers. Mix the meat with egg whites (two per pound), bread crumbs, water, salt, pepper and onion powder.

FRANKFURTER

The average 2-ounce beef hot dog has 150 calories, but that can vary depending on the ingredients and the brand. Add 120 calories for the bun, and you're already at almost 300 calories per dog. Add another 75-100 calories for an ounce of cheese, 30 calories each for 2 tablespoons of ketchup, mustard or sweet relish, and 60 more for 2.5 ounces of chili.

Nutrition Fix: Stick with sauerkraut, ketchup, mustard and relish. Stay away from cheesy sauces and chili. Choose fat-free white-turkey franks or beef franks, at about 40-60 calories per dog. Instead of a bun, try wrapping the frank in one piece of low-cal whole-wheat toast.

Charles Stuart Platkin is a nutrition and public health advocate. Write to info@thedietdetective.com.