The 4th of July is upon us, and you know what that means... BBQ's, summer fun, parties, and blowing things up - hurray!
Headed to a party? We have 5 easy ways to create a game plan whether you’re trying to keep your blood sugar in check or just want to keep things more balanced this year.
Bring a healthy dish
By bringing your favorite healthy recipe to the party, you know there will be something there to eat and enjoy, and you save room on your Brook Healthy Plate for the carb heavy items that are generally seen at parties. Make enough for everyone, but be sure to keep some for yourself. Try these no bake cheesecakes or this cucumber feta salad.
Find your healthy options
Did someone bring a veggie platter? Is there BBQ chicken? Is there a bowl of nuts? Finding your options right off the bat helps reduce the stress of figuring out what to eat (and emptying the chip bowl), especially if you are feeling hungry.
Bring your own dippers
Even better than relying on others to provide the veggies, bring your own! Know there’s gonna be plenty of delicious dips like guacamole, hummus, or onion dip? Bring a container of raw veggies (cucumber spears, bell pepper slices, baby carrots, celery sticks, sugar snap peas) to scoop dip as opposed to the corn or potato chips typically offered.
Size matters
It’s easy to overeat on a day like this because everyone tends to graze on large platters of food all day. Use a small plate and fill it up once or twice over the course of the party, or bring a recipe with build in portions, like these individual 7-layer dip cups or no-bake cheesecake cups.
Be cautious with alcohol
Each alcoholic drink can average between 100-150 calories which can add up fast! Adding mixers to hard alcohol can also rack up calories and added sugars. Alcohol also dampens our hunger and fullness cues, making us more likely to overeat when we are drinking.
If you have diabetes, alcohol can actually put you at risk for LOW blood sugar despite containing carbohydrates. To find out more about alcohol and diabetes, check out this blog post, or this beer guide.
Need some additional support for staying on track during the holidays? Reach out to us in your Brook app!
