In my last few posts, I’ve been discussing how you can make barbecues healthier and providing you with a selection of healthy BBQ meat and healthy BBQ fish recipes to help you achieve this goal. Today I’m going to expanding on these articles by focussing on vegetables and providing you with 4 Healthy & Natural BBQ Vegetable Recipes.
Like the other recipes in the series, each one of these healthy and natural vegetable recipes involves taking the vegetable, applying a simple marinade that is both healthy and tasty and then cooking it on the barbecue.
To prepare each of these healthy and natural barbecue vegetable recipes you will need the following equipment…
– 1 Mixing Bowl
– 1 Wooden Spoon
– 1 Sealable Container
1) Healthy Sweet Chilli & Onion BBQ Corn On The Cob
Corn on the cob is the most popular barbecue vegetable by far and the chances are that this shiny, yellow vegetable will be on offer at almost every barbecue you attend this summer. The great news is that nutritionally, corn on the cob is both light and healthy, with a large 143g ear containing just 123 calories along with plenty of fibre, manganese, vitamin B3, vitamin B5 and vitamin C. When you compare this to burgers and hot dogs which often contain 400+ calories and very few vitamins or minerals, you can see why corn on the cob is such a good choice.
Ingredients:
– 1 Large Ear Of Corn (143g)
– 2 Tablespoons Of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (36ml)
– 2 Tablespoons Of Lemon Juice (36ml)
– 1/2 Teaspoon Of Black Pepper (3g)
– 1/2 Teaspoon Of Brown Sugar (3g)
– 1/2 Teaspoon Of Chilli Powder (3g)
– 1/2 Teaspoon Of Onion Powder (3g)
– 1/2 Teaspoon Of Salt (3g)
Instructions:
1. Place the black pepper, brown sugar, chilli powder, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, onion powder and salt in the mixing bowl and mix them together with the wooden spoon to form a marinade.
2. Once the marinade ingredients are fully mixed, add the ear of corn to the mixing bowl and coat it fully in the marinade.
3. Once the ear of corn is fully coated in marinade, pour the ear of corn and marinade into the sealable container and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours to allow the marinade to fully soak into the ear of corn.
4. If you have time, turn the ear of corn halfway through to ensure that the marinade soaks into it evenly.
5. When it’s time for the barbecue, remove the sealable container from the fridge and carry it to the barbecue.
6. Cook the ear of corn for 5 minutes on each side on a medium to high heat.
7. Enjoy the healthy sweet chilli and onion barbecue corn on the cob on its own or with one of your favourite healthy barbecue meats or fishes.
2) Healthy Garlic, Oregano & Thyme BBQ Mushrooms
Mushrooms aren’t quite as popular as corn on the cob but they’re still equally nutritious with a 96g cup containing over 20% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for copper, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, vitamin B2, vitamin B3 and vitamin B5. In addition to this, mushrooms are super low in calories and contain just 21 calories per 96g cup which makes them an excellent choice for keeping the weight off at barbecues.
Ingredients:
– 1 Cup Of Chopped Mushrooms (96g)
– 2 Tablespoons Of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (36ml)
– 2 Tablespoons Of White Wine Vinegar (36ml)
– 1 Crushed Garlic Clove (3g)
– 1/2 Teaspoon Of Black Pepper (3g)
– 1/2 Teaspoon Of Dried Oregano (3g)
– 1/2 Teaspoon Of Dried Thyme (3g)
– 1/2 Teaspoon Of Onion Powder (3g)
– 1/2 Teaspoon Of Salt (3g)
Instructions:
1. Place the black pepper, dried oregano, dried thyme, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, onion powder, salt and white wine vinegar in the mixing bowl and mix them together with the wooden spoon to form a marinade.
2. Once the marinade ingredients are fully mixed, add the mushrooms to the mixing bowl and coat them fully in the marinade.
3. Once the mushrooms are fully coated in marinade, pour the mushrooms and marinade into the sealable container and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours to allow the marinade to fully soak into the mushrooms.
4. If you have time, turn the mushrooms halfway through to ensure that the marinade soaks into them evenly.
5. When it’s time for the barbecue, remove the sealable container from the fridge and carry it to the barbecue.
6. Place the mushrooms on a skewer and then cook them for 4 minutes on each side on a medium to high heat.
7. Enjoy the healthy garlic, oregano and thyme barbecue mushrooms on their own or with one of your favourite healthy barbecue meats or fishes.
3) Healthy Honey & Soy Sauce BBQ Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are a tasty, health boosting alternative to the crisps and chips that you’re likely find on offer at barbecues this summer. One 114g cup of sweet potatoes contains a waistline friendly 102 calories plus generous amounts of copper, fibre, manganese, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C and the B vitamins – B3, B5 and B6. In comparison, a cup of crisps contains 137 calories while a cup of chips contains 182 calories and both contain a minimal amount of nutrients, so by choosing sweet potatoes instead you can boost your health and stay slim this summer.
Ingredients:
– 1 Cup Of Peeled, Sliced Sweet Potatoes (113g)
– 1 Tablespoon Of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (18ml)
– 1 Tablespoon Of Honey (18ml)
– 1 Tablespoon Of Soy Sauce (18ml)
– 1 Crushed Garlic Clove (3g)
– 1/2 Teaspoon Of Black Pepper (3g)
– 1/2 Teaspoon Of Ginger Powder (3g)
– 1/2 Teaspoon Of Salt (3g)
Instructions:
1. Place the black pepper, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, ginger powder, honey, salt and soy sauce in the mixing bowl and mix them together with the wooden spoon to form a marinade.
2. Once the marinade ingredients are fully mixed, add the sweet potatoes to the mixing bowl and coat them fully in the marinade.
3. Once the sweet potatoes are fully coated in marinade, pour the sweet potatoes and marinade into the sealable container and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours to allow the marinade to fully soak into the sweet potatoes.
4. If you have time, turn the sweet potatoes halfway through to ensure that the marinade soaks into them evenly.
5. When it’s time for the barbecue, remove the sealable container from the fridge and carry it to the barbecue.
6. Place the sweet potatoes on a skewer and then cook them for 6 minutes on each side on a medium to high heat.
7. Enjoy the healthy honey and soy sauce barbecue sweet potatoes on their own or with one of your favourite healthy barbecue meats or fishes.
4) Healthy Garlic & Onion BBQ Peppers
Peppers are a bright, colourful, crunchy vegetable that can easily be eaten at any barbecue. One 92g cup of peppers contains just 28 calories and is jam packed with a range of natural nutrients including fibre, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K and the B vitamins – B1, B2, B3, B5, B6 and B9, making them a perfect barbecue choice that is both light and healthy.
Ingredients:
– 1 Cup Of Chopped Peppers (92g)
– 1 Tablespoon Of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (18ml)
– 1 Tablespoon Of White Wine Vinegar (18ml)
– 1 Crushed Garlic Clove (3g)
– 1/2 Teaspoon Of Black Pepper (3g)
– 1/2 Teaspoon Of Dried Basil (3g)
– 1/2 Teaspoon Of Dried Oregano (3g)
– 1/2 Teaspoon Of Onion Powder (3g)
– 1/2 Teaspoon Of Salt (3g)
Instructions:
1. Place the black pepper, dried basil, dried oregano, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, onion, salt and white wine vinegar in the mixing bowl and mix them together with the wooden spoon to form a marinade.
2. Once the marinade ingredients are fully mixed, add the peppers to the mixing bowl and coat them fully in the marinade.
3. Once the peppers are fully coated in marinade, pour the peppers and marinade into the sealable container and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours to allow the marinade to fully soak into the peppers.
4. If you have time, turn the peppers halfway through to ensure that the marinade soaks into them evenly.
5. When it’s time for the barbecue, remove the sealable container from the fridge and carry it to the barbecue.
6. Place the peppers on a skewer and then cook them for 4 minutes on each side on a medium to high heat.
7. Enjoy the healthy garlic and onion barbecue peppers on their own or with one of your favourite healthy barbecue meats or fishes.
Summary
As you probably know, vegetables are one of the lightest, most nutrient dense foods you can eat and now with these healthy, tasty recipes, you can start tucking into them all summer long. Every single one of the recipes listed works well as a snack or as a side dish when coupled up with fish or meat. The best part is with all four vegetables containing less than 150 calories per serving, you can enjoy them guilt free, even if you are on a summer weight loss plan.
So next time you host or attend a barbecue, be sure to get some vegetables prepared and let me know how they taste. Also, if you have any further recipe suggestions to add, let me know by leaving a comment in the section below.