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Healthy Heart Tip: Heart Healthy BBQ

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK

Nothing quite says summer like the smell of a BBQ! This week’s healthy tip is all about how we can turn a regular not-so-healthy BBQ into a flavour packed heart healthy feast for the whole family to enjoy. We give you tips on how to increase the fibre and reduce the fat content of your usual BBQ spread.

Sizzling skewers

Skewers are great for BBQs, and you can fill them with a rainbow of vegetables to help you hit your five-a-day and add some heart-healthy fibre to your meal. Peppers, courgettes, onions, and tomatoes work well together. The key is to cut your veggies into similar size chunks and if you’re using wooden skewers make sure you soak them before grilling so they don’t burn.

Choose fish and chicken

When thinking about a BBQ, burgers and sausages usually spring to mind and while these are fine to eat in moderation, there are heart-healthier options to choose from. Try grilling salmon wrapped in foil with some lemon for an omega-3-rich lean protein source to pair with your skewers. If you still fancy sausages, choose lean chicken varieties which contain less saturated fat.

Add a jacket spud

Jacket potatoes are the perfect BBQ accompaniment as you can cook them in advance and then wrap them in foil to pop on the BBQ to warm up. They pair perfectly with veggie skewers and salmon to create a balanced heart-healthy delicious BBQ meal to enjoy in the garden.

To help keep your heart healthy, why not try out some of the Healthy Heart recipes from the Heart Research UK website

Heart Research UK
Proud to stand out from the crowd, Heart Research UK is the charity dedicated to your heart. They inspire and invest in pioneering medical research, ground-breaking training and education, and in communities to improve their heart health for themselves. For over 50 years they have driven advancements in the prevention, treatment and cure of heart disease to benefit patients as soon as possible.