Healthy BBQ Entrées 

Jeff Behar's Healthy Veggie Kebabs

Veggie kebabs can be practically anything you can stick on a skewer. Try corn on the cob pieces, artichoke quarters, squash (leave the skin on to give it shape), peppers, potatoes (choose new potatoes or small ones you can put on whole of in halves with the skin on), and anything else you find at the store.  Vegetable kebabs are easy. 

You will want to pick vegetables that will cook in about the same amount of time. You can also choose items you like undercooked and add them to vegetables that cook faster.

Note, some vegetables are easy to put onto a stick, especially if you are using metal skewers. Some vegetables can be hard. Take corn on the cob for instance. Cut the cobs into quarters or thirds. Push a metal skewer straight down the center and you've got it ready to go.

Although several veggies caramelize when cooked and will not need any added flavor, like meats you can also choose to add  spices or marinate your veggies for added flavor.  Marinades can be basic and simple. A low fat italian dressing is a great marinade because it contains oil, vinegar, herbs, and spices. It keeps the vegetables moist, limits burning, and adds flavor. Brush your kebabs with your marinade at least 30 minutes before they hit the grill. 

When grilling vegetable kebabs you will want to give them some good heat, but you don't want them getting a lot of direct heat. Keep your veggies to a cooler part of the grill or grill them indirectly with the other burners going on high. If you are using charcoal you will want an indirect fire, or a single layer fire. This will give the veggies the heat they need to get cooked, but also prevent them from burning.

Typically under this kind of heat a normal veggie kebab will take about 10 to 15 minutes to cook. Final cooking time will depend upon several factors such as the amount of veggies on the stick, size of the veggies, temperature of the grill, etc, so adjust your cooking times and you'll be pulling off the kebabs a few minutes after you've taken the steaks in to rest.

Try this recipe for a  colorful medley of vegetables, lightly coated with olive oil and thyme, makes a great accompaniment to just about any grilled main course.

Prep time:     10 minutes

Bake/Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 medium zucchini, scrubbed and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 18 large white mushrooms, washed, stems removed
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Serves  6

Nutrition:
Calories:     53
Fat:     2 grams
Protein:     3 grams
Carbohydrates:     6 grams
Fiber:     2 grams

Note: Soak bamboo skewers in water for 10 minutes (so they don't burn on the grill)

Tasty Chicken Kebabs

Marinating these chicken kebabs all-day or overnight in a simple blend of yogurt and lemon juice makes them succulent and juicy, but the active cooking time is only about a half an hour, so they're a great quick dinner.

For a nutritious side, thread cipollini onions, red-pepper chunks, and mushrooms on a skewer and brush with olive oil to grill alongside the chicken.

192 Calories
6g Total fat
2g Saturated Fat
125mg Cholesterol
134mg Sodium
3g Carbohydrate
0g Fiber
30g Protein

As a side to this dish you can add a salad or more grilled vegetables. This will add fiber to this meal helping you feel full.

Note: Soak bamboo skewers in water for 10 minutes (so they don't burn on the grill).

Behar-BQ BBQ Pork Chops

Lean pork chops make a nice change from eating chicken, and the leanest cuts-from the loin-are leaner than chicken thighs, so don't feel guilty about eating pork chops from time to time. As with all meats, be sure to trim any excess fat before cooking. These barbecued pork chops are tangy and delicious.
Ingredients:

• 4 lean loin pork chops, trimmed of fat
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp brown sugar 

Preparation:

• Mix cider vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, and chili powder in a small bowel.
• Place pork chops in a large resealable plastic bag.
• Marinades can tenderize the surface of the meat only to about 1/4 inch. That's why it's important to make sure the marinade covers the entire surface of your meat. It also helps to score the meat (cut into the surface about 1/4 inch deep with a sharp knife in several places) before coating it with marinade.
• Pour marinade into bag and cover chops with it.
• Marinate for at least  4-6 hours in the refrigerator.
• Preheat grill or broiler.
• Spray grill with high-temperature nonstick cooking spray before heating; or spray broiler rack while broiler is heating.
• Place marinated chops on grill or broiler and cook until done, about 5 minutes per side.

Serves 4.

Per Serving :Calories 241, Calories from Fat 68, Total Fat 7.6g (sat 2.6g), Cholesterol 90mg, Sodium 449mg, Carbohydrate 11.5g, Fiber 0.9g, Protein 31.7g

Titillating Turkey Burgers  

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 pound extra-lean ground turkey breast
• 1/3 cup tomato ketchup
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 1 slice bread made into breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp coriander

Preparation:

• Combine ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
• Divide mixture into four and form four 1/2-inch thick patties.
• Grill turkey burgers for 5-6 minutes per side, to an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Per Serving: Calories 203, Calories from Fat 23, Total Fat 2.6g (sat 0.1g), Cholesterol 45mg, Sodium 399mg, Carbohydrate 14.9g, Fiber 1.6g, Protein 30g 

Apricot-Orange Grilled Tenderloin

You can have your pork tenderloin marinating in the apricot-orange glaze the night before your barbecue. Instead of coating the outside of each tenderloin with a tablespoon of oil and then brushing it with the glaze as it grills, we're marinating it directly in the glaze.  

Ingredients:

Glaze

• 1 cup apricot jam (apricot-pineapple can also be used)
  1/4 cup fresh orange juice
  1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  1/4 cup Dijon mustard

• 2 pork tenderloins, about 1.25 pounds each

 Preparation:

• Add glaze ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk until blended. Reserve a couple tablespoons of glaze to serve with cooked pork. Keep this in the refrigerator until pork is served.
• Cover tenderloins well with remaining glaze in a large plastic container.
• Cover the container and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight, turning once or twice.
• Cook the pork, get your barbecue going if using coals.
• When the coals are good and hot, cook the tenderloins over direct heat about 2 minutes, then flip over for 2 more minutes.
• Reposition the pork for indirect heat, cover the grill, and continue to cook about 30 minutes longer.
• Let meat rest for 10 minutes, then cut into 1/2-inch thick slices and arrange on a serving platter along with a small dish of the reserved glaze.

Yield: 8 servings Per serving (with one-fourth of the glaze being eaten): 200 calories, 31 g protein, 7 g carbohydrate, 5 g fat, 1.8 g saturated fat, 2 g monounsaturated fat, 0.5 g polyunsaturated fat, 85 mg cholesterol, .1 g fiber, 112 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 24%. 

Grilled Pork Loin with Fire-Roasted Pineapple Salsa

A lively citrus-chile marinade spices up the mild flavor of the grilled pork loin in this dish, while a quick and easy salsa of seared fresh pineapple, red peppers, and onions carries the sweet-and-spicy theme a delicious step further. The resulting delicious flavor bursting dish is low in fat and carbs and packed with protein and antioxidants.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp tomato paste 
• 1 tbsp mild or hot chili powder (or achiote paste)
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 3 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb pork tenderloin, trimmed
• 1 small golden pineapple (about 1 1/2 lb), diced into 1-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup pineapple (or orange) juice
• 1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1/4 small red onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• Vegetable oil cooking spray

 Preparation:

• Mix tomato paste with chili powder.
• Combine with orange juice, lime juice and oil in a double resealable bag.
• Add tenderloin and marinate at least 3 hours.
• Heat a large pan over high heat to the smoking point, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Brown pineapple 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add pineapple juice and stir 1 minute, scraping up brown bits from pan.
• Remove pineapple from heat.
• Combine in a bowl with pepper, onion and basil.
• Heat a grill or grill pan over high. Coat with cooking spray.
• Remove pork from marinade; place on grill. (Discard excess marinade.)
• Reduce heat to medium; cook, turning occasionally, until pork is no longer pink and internal temperature is 160º, 18 to 20 minutes.
• Let pork rest 5 minutes before slicing.
• Spoon salsa over pork.

Per Serving: 325 calories per serving, 10.2 g fat (2.7 g saturated), 33.8 g carbs, 4.2 g fiber, 26.8 g protein 

Grilled Salmon with Grilled Asparagus Spears

Salmon makes a great alternative to meat. Salmon is one of the best food sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to lower heart disease risk. This is delicious served with natural, low fat yoghurt, salad and crusty bread.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 sheets 12-inch by 18-inch foil wrap
• 4 5-ounce salmon fillets
• 1 pound asparagus
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• Freshly ground black pepper

 Preparation:

• Place a whole fillet onto a sheet of foil large enough to make a parcel.
• Slice half a lemon and layer over the top of the salmon.
• Squeeze the other half over the fish, season and wrap the foil to make a make a generous parcel and refrigerate overnight (to allow the flavors to fuse).
• Break ends off asparagus spears and divide spears into four portions.
• Drizzle with lemon juice and add fresh ground black pepper.
• Bring up sides of foil and fold the top over twice.
• Seal the ends. 
• Cook on the barbecue for about 10  -15 minutes - depending on thickness of fillet.
• Be careful when opening the foil packs, as the steam will be very hot.

Serves 4.

Per Serving: Calories 253, Calories form Fat 78, Total Fat 8.6g (sat 1.9g), Cholesterol 64mg, Sodium 68mg, Carbohydrate 10.4g, Fiber 2.6g, Protein 33.4g 

Lighter Side Dishes

One of the best things about a barbecue is the variety of foods on offer - so don't limit this simply to what you cook on the grill. A bit of pre-planning will ensure a healthy choice of accompaniments (steer clear of supermarket coleslaw and potato salad - these are laced with fat).

Here are some healthy, low fat substitutes:

Grilled Vegetables

The USDA guidelines recommend eating a variety of fruits and vegetables each day, selecting from all five vegetable subgroups: dark green vegetables, legumes (beans), starchy vegetables, orange vegetables, and other vegetables. Instead of potato chips, which can be high in saturated and trans fats, serve raw veggies like cucumber, carrot and celery sticks, cherry tomatoes and broccoli and cauliflower florets with a low-fat dip.   Grilling vegetables is a fantastic way to bring out their flavor without adding extra calories or fat. Their natural flavors are concentrated giving them a richer taste than boiling or steaming would.  Also an important point: grilling some vegetables even slightly can help boost bioavailability. Tomatoes are a classic example. Flavonoids in cooked tomatoes are better absorbed than raw tomatoes. Note: cooking is not always good. It kills antioxidants in some foods.

You can grill almost anything, but asparagus, bell peppers, yellow squash, tomatoes, corn, zucchini, yams and beets are an easy place to start. They're firm and won't fall apart on the grill.    The trick to grilling veggies is cutting them into shapes and sizes that cook well on the grill. When you cook them over direct medium heat, turning frequently, they'll usually be done in 8-10 minutes (sometimes less, depending on the vegetable). Look for grill marks and some light browning to develop.   These vegetables work especially well on the grill.

• Red, white, or sweet onion, sliced into 1/2-inch thick rounds.
• Beets, sliced into 1/2-inch thick rounds.
• Yams, Sweet Potatoes,  cut lengthwise.
• Sweet Corn on the cob (take off the husks and silks). Sweetcorn cooked on the BBQ is delicious and acquires a taste unobtainable with any other form of cooking. Pre-boil it until just tender, to keep it juicy and speed up cooking time on the "Barbie". Then, place it directly on the grill and turn until charred on the outside. Resist the temptation for lashings of butter - you won't need it!
• Whole mushrooms. Grill portabellas like a burger or them cut into thick slices; grill small mushrooms strung on a skewer or kabob.
• Eggplant, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices.
• Zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices.
• Asparagus spears. Just trim off the white end and grill the spears whole.

Beets and yams are two of my grill favorites.  Their natural sugar caramelizes during cooking, so they become deliciously sweet. Both are also high in antioxidants.   If you are stuck for time you can use canned beets (simmered) and canned yams because fresh ones take longer to cook. You can also precook them in the oven if you prefer fresh over canned. 

You can keep the preparation simple and still achieve a bold taste. To add some punch you can sprinkle them with herbs.   

More Low Fat Healthy Side Dishes    

Lean Mean Potato Salad

Picnic potato salads are big fat traps, but picnics and cookouts just wouldn't be the same without potato salad. There are ways to make low fat versions. and creamy. Substitute low fat or fat free mayonnaise, yogurt or sour cream for the full fat versions. Low-fat buttermilk is another great option, too. If you add eggs to your potato salads, lose the yolks.  Here is a delicious low fat recipe with just 0.5 grams of saturated fat per serving!
Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp Dijonnaise
• 1/2 pounds small white potatoes, unpeeled, and cut into pieces
• 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
• 1 6-ounce pot plain low fat yogurt, drained

Preparation:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook potatoes until tender.
• Drain and allow to cool.
• In a large bowl, combine red onion, Dijonnaise and plain yogurt.
• Add cooled potatoes and mix well.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serves 6

Per Serving: Calories 125, Calories from Fat 5 (sat 0.5g), Cholesterol 0.3mg, Sodium 95mg, Carbohydrate 26.4g, Fiber 2.1g, Protein 3.7g

Low Fat Macaroni Salad 

Use elbow macaroni or ditaloni, the short tube pasta.

Prep Time: 2 hours, 20 minutes.

Cook Time: 8 minutes

Ingredients:

• cups dry macaroni or ditaloni
• 1 cup sliced celery
• 1 cup chopped red pepper
• 1/2 cup cucumber, sliced and quartered
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1/3 cup fat-free mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup low fat plain yogurt
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Preparation:

• Cook macaroni according to package directions.
• Drain and rinse with cold water to cool.
•  In a large bowl, combine cooled macaroni, chopped celery, pepper, cucumber, and onion.
• In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, yogurt and mustard.
• Add to pasta salad and toss well to coat. Chill for at least 2 hours.

Serves 6

Per Serving: Calories 165, Calories from Fat 11, Total Fat 1.2g (sat 0.2g), Cholesterol 3mg, Sodium 196mg, Carbohydrate 32.6g, Fiber 1.9g, Protein 5.8g

Healthy Slaw

If you make coleslaw dressing, use low-fat or fat-free mayonnaise as the base. For rice, bean, corn or tomato salads, reverse the oil to vinegar ratio. It's usually three parts oil to one part vinegar. If the dressing is too tart, it's fine to dilute it a little with a tablespoon of water or broth.

Three Bean "You Stay Lean as a String Bean" Salad

One of my favorite salads is Three Bean Salad. It's a low fat, high fiber and high protein salad, which you can serve at any summer gathering. It's delicious at room temperature, but you can serve it chilled, too.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound green beans, trimmed and cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup minced shallots
• 4 tbsp white wine vinegar

Preparation:

• Steam or cook the green beans in a pot of boiling water for 3-4 minutes, until tender-crisp.
• Drain and plunge beans into cold water to stop cooking and retain color.
• Combine cooked green beans with cannellini beans, kidney beans and shallots in a large bowl.
• Whisk vinegar, oil and mustard and drizzle over bean mixture.·           Toss gently.·
• Serve chilled or at room temperature. Serves 6-8.

Per Serving: Calories 184, Calories from Fat 21, Total Fat 2.4g (sat 0.3g), Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 281mg, Carbohydrate 30.4g, Fiber 9.5g, Protein 10.3g

My Favorite Summer Time Low Fat Deserts

Instead of opting for high fat, high calories heart clogging deserts opt for a healthy alternatives like:

No Fat New York Cheesecake

Cheesecake lovers unite. There is a way to make a fat free version of the traditional New York style cheesecake and tastes just like the real thing. This fat free cheesecake recipe makes 12 servings, or if you eat like me, 1 evening of bliss!

Prep time:     20 minutes

Bake/Cook time: 50-60 minutes 

Ingredients:

• 5 (8 ounce) packages fat free cream cheese
• 1/2 cup egg substitute
• 1 1/4 cups sugar substitute
• 2/3 cup nonfat sour cream
• 2 1/2 tablespoons flour
• 1 tablespoon vanilla

Crust

• 3 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs
• 2 table spoons of sugar substitute
• 1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce) ground pecans

• nonstick cooking spray

Strawberry Topping

• 1/8 cup sugar substitute
• 8 ounces frozen strawberries
• 2 tablespoons water

Preparation:

1. Bring the fat free cream cheese to room temperature Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Using an electric mixer, whip the cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth. Add the sugar, non fat sour cream, flour, and vanilla and beat well.
3. Add the egg substitute and mix only until combined. Do not over mix once the egg substitute is added.
4. To make the crust, measure the pecans after grinding them up in a food processor or blender, then return them to the processor. Add the graham cracker crumbs and 1-1/2 tsp sugar and pulse for 15 seconds to form a fine meal. Spray the inside of the 9-1/2 inch spring form pan with a light coating of cooking spray. Wipe off any excess spray around the top rim of the pan. The spray should only coat the bottom and up about 2 inches on the sides. Dump the crumbs into the pan and swirl the pan so that the bottom and sides are coated with the crumbs. Lightly tap out any excess.
5. Pour the cream cheese mixture into the pan, being careful not to disturb the crumbs when pouring. Gently spread the cheese mixture close to the edge with a rubber spatula, but don't touch the sides or you may disturb the crumbs.
6. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the top is firm. The center may not entirely set until cooled. Cover and cool for 2 hrs at room temp then refrigerate. Chill for 2 hours before removing the rim of the pan.
7. To make the strawberry Glaze. Prepare the strawberry glaze by combining the strawberries, sugar, and water in microwave safe bowl. Cover, and microwave on 50% power for 2 minute If strawberries are still frozen, you may have to heat the mixture for 4-5 minute Stir to dissolve sugar and let stand 10-15 minute Pour mixture into blender and puree until smooth. Strain and chill.
8. Cut cheesecake into 12 slices. Serve each slice with about 1 tbsp strawberry sauce on top.

Serving Size 1 slice, Amount per Serving: Calories: 118 per slice. Calories from Fat: 5. Total Fat 0.6g .Total Carbohydrate 29.0g. Sugars 26.66g. Protein 1.89g. 

Coconut Cream White Cake 

You can make this cake a day ahead of time.  If you can't find light canned coconut milk, use 3/4 cup fat-free half-and-half plus 3/4 teaspoon coconut extract.

Cake

• 1 box (18.26 ounces) white cake mix
• 1 large egg (use a higher omega-3 brand if available)
• 1/2 cup egg substitute (or 4 egg whites)
• 1/3 cup fat-free sour cream
• 1 cup water or low-fat milk
• 3/4 teaspoon coconut extract

Sauce

• 3/4 cup light coconut milk (available in cans; see substitute suggestion above)
• 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon fat-free sweetened condensed milk

 Topping

• 3 cups light or fat-free Cool Whip (light whipping cream can also be used)
• 1/2 cup flaked coconut (regular or toasted)

 Preparation: 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9x13-inch baking pan with canola cooking spray.
• Add cake mix, egg, egg substitute, sour cream, water, and coconut extract to a large mixing bowl and beat for 2 minutes on medium speed. Scrape sides of bowl after a minute of mixing. Pour evenly into prepared baking dish and bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean.
• In a 4-cup measure, blend sauce ingredients until smooth.
• When cake comes out of the oven, poke large holes evenly over the top with chopsticks or a barbecue fork. Pour milk mixture slowly over the top, so it soaks into the cake. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.
• Just before serving, spread light Cool Whip (or other whipped topping) over the top of cake and sprinkle with the coconut.

Yield: About 18 servings

Per serving: 195 calories, 4 g protein, 31 g carbohydrate, 6 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 2 g monounsaturated fat, 1 g polyunsaturated fat, 11 mg cholesterol, 0.5 g fiber, 223 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 28%. 

Summer Fresh Strawberry Cocktail

For this fresh and healthy desert, all you need is pack of fresh strawberries, a sprinkle of sugar and some aged balsamic vinegar. Vinegar? Trust me, you won't taste "vinegar," but you will enjoy delicious, sweet strawberries.
Prep Time:  25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 pound fresh, ripe strawberries, hulled and sliced
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

 Preparation:

• Place strawberries in a medium sized bowl.
• Sprinkle sugar, and then gently stir.
• Leave to stand for 10-15 minutes.
• Drizzle balsamic vinegar over strawberries.
• Gently stir one more time.
• Refrigerate or let stand for at least an hour.

Serves 4

Per Serving: Calories 54, Calories from Fat 4, Total Fat 0.4g (sat 0g), Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 1mg, Carbohydrate 11.8g, Fiber 2.6g, Protein 0.7g

Cool Summer Parfaits

Summer parfaits are easy to make and look extremely attractive when layered in clear glasses or dessert bowls.

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 3 1/2 ounce pack of instant vanilla pudding and pie mix
• 1 1/2 cups fat-free milk
• 2 cups of fresh mixed berries, divided
• Berries for garnish
• 1 1/2 cups fat-free whipped topping

 Preparation:

• Whisk vanilla pudding and pie mix using fat-free milk.
• Whisk for 2 minutes.
• Leave pudding to stand and thicken for a few minutes.
• Divide 1 cup of fruit between four dessert glasses.
• Use half the vanilla pudding, divided among the four glasses.
• Add half the whipped topping, followed by another layer of fruit, pudding and whipped topping.
• Garnish with a slice or two of strawberries or a few blueberries.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serves 4

Per Serving: Calories 196, Calories from Fat 5, Total Fat 0.5g (sat 0.1g), Cholesterol 2mg, Sodium 406mg, Carbohydrate 44.3g, Fiber 1.9g, Protein 3.5g  

More Healthy Desserts

• Fruit Kebobs. Make fruit kebabs-these are very popular with kids. Skewer chunks of banana, strawberries, mangoes and pineapple. Make a dipping sauce from chocolate syrup or low-fat vanilla yogurt. Grill some pineapple, peach or nectarine halves and add a little brown sugar and low fat whipped topping.
• Grilled Fruit Medley. Grilling fruit is a best kept secret! When the coals have died down and the heat is low, is the best time to add raw fruit to the grill. Be sure not to use overly ripe fruit or it will stick and burn. Try grilling fruits like pineapple slices, nectarines, peaches or plums - the natural sugars caramelize with the heat and give them great flavor.  Fruits are loaded with vitamins, minerals and fiber - and they're low in calories.
• A bowl of fresh fruit salad. Fruits can add fiber to your diet as well as important vitamins and other nutrients.  Citrus and colorful fruits are rich with antioxidants. Vitamin C antioxidant fruits include cantaloupe, honeydew melons; citrus fruits and strawberries, among others. Carotenoids, which the body converts to Vitamin A, are found in the most deep/bright colored fruits including apricots.
• Grilled Banana Mud. While he charcoal is dying down, pop some bananas (in their skins) wrapped in tin foil on the shelf and leave for about 10 minutes. When you unwrap them you'll have a delicious gooey banana dessert!
• Angel food cake topped with fruit. Serve blueberries and strawberries with angel food cake and low fat or fat free whipped topping. Serve with frozen yogurt instead of ice cream.
• Summer Fresh Smoothie. A smoothie with luscious fresh fruit in season, fat-free vanilla or lemon yogurt and a touch of honey.
• Fruit slushies. Make fruit slushies using your favorite combination of fruit, low-fat milk or yogurt, and ice.

About the Author

Jeff Behar, MS, MBA Jeff Behar, MS, MBA is a recognized health, fitness and nutrition expert, regularly writing about hot topics in the areas of health, fitness, disease prevention, weight loss, nutrition, anti aging and alternative medicine. Jeff Behar's work also often appears in several of the major health and fitness newsletters, health and fitness magazines, and on major health, fitness and  weight loss websites. Jeff Behar is also the CEO of MuscleMagFitness.com, and MyBestHealthPortal.com; two very popular health, fitness, nutrition and anti aging information sites.