Nutrisystem’s BBQ Survival Kit

Chances are very good that you’ll attend a holiday barbecue today or tomorrow. And why not? Barbecues are a great opportunity to catch up with family and friends, meet new people and enjoy some good food. They don’t need to be weight loss traps. Here are 4 ways to enjoy a great holiday tradition while staying true to your program. Think of it is our BBQ Survival Kit.

Eat before you leave home.

Think of the barbecue itself as an opportunity to socialize rather than to eat. Have your usual Nutrisystem meals—don’t forget the vegetables!—at home before leaving for the gathering. If you go hungry, you know you’ll head straight to the chips and dip. Once at the party, if feel any pangs of hunger, head for the raw vegetable tray that your cousin’s boyfriend always brings.

Divide and conquer.

Think of your plate as a circle divided into quarters. Fill two of those quarters—half the plate—with lots of program-friendly greens and other vegetables. Then add a burger or lean proteins like chicken or shrimp. Finally, round out the plate with a bit of pasta salad or baked beans. Be sure to skip the chips, as tempting as they may be.

Skip the drinks.

Sure, a cold beer can taste great on a warm day, and may even help you deal with Uncle Earl and his political views, but if you really want to stay on the path to weight loss, skip the calories that beer and other alcoholic drinks can add—as well as the willpower-eroding alcohol—and opt instead for lemon-infused water or seltzer, or unsweetened ice tea.

Bring Your Own Food.

You’re doing so well on your weight loss program that people are bound to notice and ask about how you’re doing it. That will buy you a lot of support when your sister-in-law insists you try her potato salad, which has more mayonnaise than actual potatoes. And it will give you plenty of license to say no thanks to the potato salad while you take out a container of vegetables and a Nutrisystem burger.