Burger Extras
Watch out for the obvious: fries, potato chips (150 calories per handful), coleslaw (more than 250 calories per cup) and pasta salad (400 to 500 calories per cup). These sides are typically high in calories and can turn your barbecue into a diet disaster. Instead of chips or fries, make your own grilled potatoes (see: More Calorie Bargains). Or try this recipe from EatingWell.com.
More: Skinny Sweet Potato Fries
Toppings and Condiments
Instead of cheese (70 to 120 calories per deli slice—plus cheese is high in saturated fat), add lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles or even celery to your burgers. Or try lite or reduced-fat cheese. Fat-free single-serving slices have about 30 calories each. Also, look for cheeses that aren't reduced fat but are thinly sliced. They're typically less than an ounce with only about 40 to 60 calories per slice.
More: 5 Condiments to Burn Belly Fat
For great flavor and virtually no extra calories, top your burger with tomatoes marinated in red wine vinegar, fresh basil, a drop of olive oil, salt and cracked black pepper. And add some pickled red onions or pickled peppers, says Greeley.
Avoid mayo (100 calories per tablespoon) and stick to ketchup, mustard or even steak sauce. At 30 calories per tablespoon, barbecue sauce has twice as many calories as ketchup or steak sauce (15 calories). Those extra calories can add up fast. If you dump 1/2 cup of barbecue sauce on your burger and fries, well, you've just eaten 240 extra calories.
More: 5 Low-Calorie Ingredients to Spice Up Any Dish
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