Summer party foods!

This time of year, it feels like every weekend is filled 

on my calendar.  

Concerts, baseball games, cookouts and pool parties are rampant this time of year and one thing they are known for aside from being lots of fun, is not necessarily having the healthiest food. 

Cause that's why we are all here right, to be healthy, lose a few and tone up.  And what's on our mind when we are trying to get healthy..... FOOD.  So you probably are already thinking about the food even if the event is days away.  

In these situations I like to think that you have to go with the lesser of all the evils. And thinking proactively about what your putting in your body can make all of the difference.  

Here are some of my tips for eating out in these situations. 

Number 1: Eat before you go. I realize that this seems a little silly, because so many people go to these events for the food.  And I'm not saying that you can't eat the food, I just want you to eat less of that food. If you fill up on something like a couple of pieces of fruit (bananas or apples) or some rice and vegetables which are low in fat, then you won't be as tempted to eat that fifth slice of cake.

Number 2: Make something to take with you. One of the easiest ways to know exactly what your eating is to make it yourself. You could make fruit salad or pasta salad with dressing. It's usually best to let the host know that you plan on bringing something so you can both plan ahead.  I literally do this everywhere that I go, and yes it can be a little awkward.  But in the long run you're going to feel a lot better about the things that you're eating at parties. 

Number 3: Creamy, cheesy, meaty, fried, fudgey, etc.   Words like this set of my unhealthy sensor.  The minute I hear "cheesy potatoes" I know that I want to eat as little as possible.  These foods will be high in fat, calories, cholesterol, sodium and a lot of stuff you don't want. 

Number 4: Don't drink. Alcohol and soda is packed with calories and when you go to these parties it is incredibly easy to 

down way more than you intended.  Just stick to water, hydration 

in the summer is extra important anyway. 

And last but not least here's a list of some of 

the food that I look for at parties that don't make me feel like 

I just ruined my whole week.

Veggies

Fruit

Hummus Dip

Pasta Salad

Corn of the cob

Popcorn

Nuts

Bean salad 

(my friend Hannah makes an amazing one.)

Pretzels

Grilled Veggies

Salsa

Fruit Desserts

I don't mean that all of these foods are the epitome word health. Just means that they're probably the better options. 

Moral of the story kids is to make good choices!