4 Memorial Day Healthy Hacks

Read this to learn healthy hacks to enjoy your weekend, feel amazing and still stay on track towards your goals! For those of you who are just kickstarting your journey or are striving to "stick to the plan," you know the next several days will be tasty temptations at all the BBQ's and it seems a little daunting to manage enjoyment and potentially feeling guilty for indulging. What to do? Follow these 4 steps and you'll be good to go!

1) Fill Up with the Grilled Goods!

Fill up your plate with lean proteins and healthy carbohydrates. Grab a turkey or beef patty and add some vegetables like asparagus, zucchini, or tomatoes from the grill! Finally, use whole wheat or grain buns to complete your burger. Usually, the grilled foods have less sauces, oils and fat content to help you avoid unnecessary calories (you can save those for dessert later). Not a meat eater? Throw some firm tofu and fruit onto the grill! See directions below

Additional grilled good ideas:

1) BBQ Watermelon: Take watermelon slices, brush both sides with a balsamic vinegar, honey, salt pepper mix, and place on grill for 2 min/side.

2) Grilled Tofu: Clean, drain, dry, and cut 28 oz of extra firm tofu into 6 pieces. Mix together 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce, 1/3 cup olive oil, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp salt. Add mixture to Tofu and marinade for 30 min up to 48 hours. Preheat grill to 500 degrees F and bring down to 350 degrees F. Place tofu on grill for 5-7 minutes (until brown on one side) and flip for another 5-7 minutes. Heat up extra marinade, pour over grilled tofu and serve. (Recipe adopted from allrecipes.com)

3) Grilled Peaches: Turn on grill to medium heat. Halve, pit peaches and brush with olive oil or avocado oil. Place cut side on grill for 5 minutes (until you can see grill marks) Serve peaches with ice cream ( or on top of a salad)

2) Get outside

Get off the couch and go outside to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air. If you're already hanging out in the backyard, stay standing to burn 30% more calories while chatting with your family and friends. After lunch or dinner, take a stroll to get your steps in. If you’re on the beach, play some Frisbee, volleyball, or go for a swim! Go out for a hike or a bike ride and explore a little. There are many ways to get your active time in without having to do an actual workout. If you think you'll be inactive for most the day, crush a 30 minute workout before the festivities start! (Click here if you need some quick calorie burning workouts!)

3) Hydrate with Infused Fruits or Sparkling Water

Are you hosting a BBQ and want to avoid sugary drinks? Cut up some strawberries, oranges, lemons and/or cucumbers and add them to water to create delicious fruit infused water. You can leave the drink in the refrigerator to chill and really let the flavor infuse. If you're attending a party, stick with water or sparkling water to stay hydrated and avoid empty calories.

4) Focus Portion Control instead of Trying to Avoid Certain Foods

Do you tend to over eat at parties? Focus on portion control. If you’re wondering how much to eat, palm sized protein portion, fist sized complex carbs, and two handfuls of vegetables should do the trick for a perfect meal! This will leave caloric room for delicious desserts that you might want to dig into!

Staying on track with your health goals can be easy! Just follow these 4 steps this Memorial Day Weekend to have a successful celebration while you crush your goals!

If you want to learn more tips and tricks to get healthy and lose weight, follow me on Instagram @stephaniegiang

Have a safe and great Holiday Weekend!!

Stephanie

P.S. Don't forget to wear sunscreen while you're having fun in the sun!