What Are Your Healthy Cookout Options?

Summer is here!

(At least it is in Alabama.)

With the warm weather and clear skies, my family's outdoor activities have multiplied significantly every weekend. We're going hiking, swimming, biking...my husband even bought a kayak to take out this summer.  We're working on the flowerbeds. We're cleaning out the garage.  We're out and about and feeling great. But where the weather motivates us to be healthier in our activities, I'm not sure it is helping us eat better in my household.

See, now that the weather is consistently warm the invitations for cookouts are aplenty. Every invitation comes with a request that our family bring something. That's the interesting thing about summer cookouts, the freedoms of potluck are bountiful. Dips! Side dishes! Desserts! There are so many appealing things about the typical cookout menu that you can usually find something to supply that pleases the palette of everyone attending.

But is it nutritious?

In the past I've made tuna salad loaded with eggs and mayo. I've taken baked beans cooked with pork fat and desserts covered in whipped cream. I always see the healthier additions on the tables and they often taste delicious, but those are not usually the items that I carried in myself.

So, since I've been trying to learn healthier recipes to substitute for my normal staples, I need good additions to take to summer events and cookouts. Since the 4^th of July is right around the corner, and most of us will be attending cookouts that weekend or sometime this summer, I thought it would be a great time to share recipes. Low fat potato salad? Fresh fruit desserts? Straight from the garden salsa? What is your signature addition to your summer gatherings?