Are you planning a summer barbecue, but don’t want to go heavy on oily dressings and marinades? We understand you! Marinades are such a delicious part of a BBQ, and surely you wouldn’t want to miss out on them. And you can make them healthy too!

A simple marinade can turn a bland grilled chicken into an explosion of flavour, and make the food experience much more enjoyable. There is a huge misconception that a BBQ is unhealthy, but it just depends on how you make it. There are a million mouth-watering healthy flavour combinations that can be created by a mix of spices, sauces and marinades, that will leave your taste buds satisfied and nourish your body all at once!

Most shop-bought marinated meats and grilling sauces contain excessive amounts of sugar, salt, fat and preservatives of all sorts. The solution is to make dressings at home. Home-made marinades will not contain extra chemicals that enhance flavour, appearance or shelf-life. They are super-easy and quick, you have full control over the ingredients, can alter them to your family’s tastes and nutritional needs. You can choose what is best for your body and reduce food packaging waste at the same time. Good for you, and for the planet.

We want to inspire you to make your own healthy BBQ with some ideas for a lovely day out. They are all easy to make. You won’t have to spend ages prepping in the kitchen or buy a load of extra ingredients.

• Lettuce Burgers

It’s just like your classic burger, but instead of the bun, use some lettuce leaves. You still get the protein form the meat, but then replace the bread with some nutritious vegetables. If you really love bread, just use half of the bun. This can really help reduce the excess calorie consumption from a BBQ and get some nutritious vegetables in your body. For an extra tropical punch, use 2 grilled pineapple slices instead of the bread buns – it creates a unique sweet and sour flavour combination and adds more fibre and vitamins to the “burger”.

• Salmon in Sriracha Hot Sauce

Up for something hot? This salmon recipe is an incredible way to spice up your salmon steak, without adding extra fats to the marinade. Sriracha is a hot sauce, originally from Thailand. It is ideal for lovers of something a bit tangier with a touch of sweetness. The recipe is super-simple: 1. Coat your salmon steaks in Sriracha sauce. 2. Add a bit of salt to taste. 3. Put on the grill for 5 minutes on one side, then turn over for another 2-3 minutes. Viola! A spicy salmon steak in on your plate!

• Grilled Vegetable Platter in Spices

 Vegetables are high in fibre and are a great way to reduce the number of calories eaten at a BBQ. (We all know it is easy to overeat at them.) Vegetables take up a lot of space in the stomach and make you feel full faster. You can grill almost any vegetable: zucchini, tomatoes, pepper, mushrooms… Simply drizzle with a bit of olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper or other spices and put on the grill. Cooking time will depend on the size of the vegetable.

• Ash-Baked Potatoes

This is an amazing idea to make the most out of the leftover BBQ ashes. This recipe is ideal for camping and does not actually require a grill. The it is very simple, and you only need 1 ingredient: a potato! Simply wrap the potato in foil and place into the ashes from the fire. You can even place it in without the foil, but then just be cautious not to eat the peel. An absolutely delicious treat, which is especially good with low fat cream cheese or simply garnished with some salt, pepper and garlic granules.

These simple BBQ recipes should equip you with the knowledge to make a healthy and delicious outdoor meal and enjoy the taste, without feeling heavy or guilty.