Healthy Food Hacks for Summer in Liverpool

It’s summer which means the age old problem of wanting to look good while we’re wearing less clothes versus the lure of BBQs and beer gardens.

So how can you have a great summer to remember without piling on the pounds? Here’s our top summer food and drink hacks to keep you on track.

Healthy Hotdogs

Fingers crossed we’ll get at least another few days of good weather this summer and that means BBQs being fired up across Merseyside. It’s not as hard as you think to make them healthier though. Obviously up the salad and cut down the bread but it’s also well worth considering swapping your sausages for chicken ones. They’re still really tasty but with less fat and nearly half the calories. There’s 153 calories in 2 chicken sausages compared to 132 in an average pork one. Which basically means double the amount of hotdogs for nearly the same calories. Winner!

Visit family run Joe’s Sausages in Southport for great quality chicken breast sausages. More info here.

Ice Ice Baby

We all love an ice cream in the hot weather and you might think the ice cream van and a healthy diet don’t really go hand in hand but they can if you chose wisely. You’re looking at around 270 calories for a Classic Magnum but head for the lolly ices instead (or ice lollies depending on your preference), and it’s a different story. Fruit Pastilles lollies only have 61 calories, absolutely no fat and are probably better at cooling you down too.

Pick up some organic ice lollies at Purple Carrot on Smithdown Road. More info on their products here.

Gin Makes You Slim

Well, technically it doesn’t but it is one of the lowest calorie alcoholic drinks, just as long as you have it with slim line tonic. A single gin with a diet mixer is only around 54 calories compared to 108 with regular tonic. Add that up over a Saturday afternoon in the beer garden and you don’t have to be great at maths to work out that’s saving you a lot of calories. But what if you don’t like gin? Not a popular opinion while it’s having a bit of a moment but there’s good news for Prosecco lovers too. On average you’re looking at around 80 calories a glass. If it’s a cocktail you’re after, a good rule is the fewer ingredients the fewer the calories. The classic Cosmopolitan is always a safe bet.

Try the Kiwi Gin Slush at Botanical Garden in the Baltic Triangle, perfect for a sunny day. More info here.

Avocados Aren’t Your Friends

Open Instagram and within 2 minutes you’ll have seen a picture of someone eating avocado on toast. Now while it’s delicious, and good for you in many ways (they’re full of potassium, fibre and good fats) avocados are actually quite high in calories. You’re looking at over 200 calories depending on the size. Try swapping it for spinach, broccoli or kale in salads and you’ll get all the health benefits with a lot less calories.

Swap the avocado for spinach on the Smashed Avo in Baby E on Dale Street. See the full menu here.

Who Said Jelly and Ice Cream Was Just For Kids?

If you’ve got a sweet tooth and feel like you need that sugar hit after a meal it can be tricky to find something that isn’t going to dramatically increase your calorie intake for the day. Going back to one of your childhood desserts can actually be the answer here. Specifically jelly and ice cream. Some would say the king of desserts and it can be very low in calories as long as you pick the right ones.

Hartley’s 10 Cal strawberry jelly is just 4 calories per pot (yes it’s a confusing name) and if you haven’t tried Halo Top ice cream yet where have you been? The same size as a full size tub of Ben & Jerry’s but only 280 calories for the whole tub of the vanilla bean flavour. Yes, the WHOLE TUB! So 74 calories in total for a quarter of a tub of ice cream with strawberry jelly. Double dessert anyone?

For another heathy dessert option try the homemade protein cakes at family run Fika on Woolton Road. See what else they serve here.

Make sure you check out the A Girl And A Gay In The Gym podcast for everything you need to know about being fit and healthy this summer. Hosted by two of Liverpool’s leading personal trainers, The Gym Bird and Richie Swan. You can listen on Apple, Spotify and Google Podcasts here