Barbecues are an Aussie tradition, yet many popular barbecue foods are high in fat and salt. Make your next barbecue a winner on taste and health with these simple steps!

Add fruit and vegetables

Include a fruit, vegetable or salad item, such as corn cobs, mushrooms, onions, asparagus, sweet potato, offer a salad and/or fruit platter to finish. Provide veggie burgers as an alternative to hamburgers.

Reduce the saturated fat

Use lean or reduced fat meats, such as trimmed steaks, lean hamburger patties and reduced fat sausages instead of regular versions. Only use small amounts of oil when cooking.

Reduce the salt

Use ‘reduced salt’ versions of sauces and condiments, and avoid adding salt to any foods you make yourself, such as burgers and salads. Don’t offer salt at the table or serving area.

Go for wholemeal and wholegrain options

Make wholemeal or wholegrain bread the standard or default bread type for sausages and burgers instead of white bread.

Limit sugar sweetened drinks

Provide water instead of sugar sweetened drinks, or offer some low sugar/diet varieties.

Promote healthier items

Promote your healthier options on menus, display boards and labels, and avoid promoting the less healthy items.

If providing the barbecue as a fundraiser, include healthier items in ‘meal deals’, such as providing water with burgers or sausages instead of a soft drink. Offer fruit or salad on the side with burgers and sausages.