9 easy steps to a healthier burger barbecue even the busiest moms will love!

Sabra Dipping Co. sponsored this article.

I had so much fun putting together this list of healthy tips to inspire your next family burger barbecue night. The timing couldn't have been better. We had a weekend of soaring temperatures that kept me far from the kitchen but I was happy to invite my family over for dinner on the patio.

Recipe Highlights:

1. Buttery Yukon Gold Potato Salad lightly coated with creamy Diced Onion Greek Yogurt dressing
2. If you can boil water you can make this salad!
3. Low fat and a good source of protein with 4 Weight Watchers Points Plus per serving.

The only thing I planned to cook for the entire menu was a pot of potatoes for the sweet onion potato salad (recipe below). By mid-day the kitchen was already intolerably warm -our normally temperate climate means we don't have air conditioning. I almost skipped the potatoes but Sabra diced onion Greek yogurt dip potato salad sounded so good, and I had already dug the potatoes out of the ground. (Yes, I am that person but you can buy yours.) As I reached for the stock pot I remembered the rarely used side burner on our barbecue. I cranked the flame and cooked up the potatoes!

When my parents and brother arrived I told them I needed to set the table to take pictures. My dad really got into styling the food, he made an extra effort to artfully smear his condiments and made sure to pile his watermelon cubes in a photogenic way. Even my brother got in on the fun. His grilled veggie-topped creation became the star of the evening perfectly showcasing many of the tips in a single close-up ready burger.

I hope you find some inspiration for your next burger barbecue dinner on this list. I can say with complete honesty, that following all these tips will lead you to a healthier burger barbecue night. You don't even need a kitchen to pull it all off!

A Healthier Burger Barbecue in 9 Easy Steps (because 10 is for overachievers)

1. Skip the chips. Put out trays of cool, crisp, and colorful fruits and vegetables to snack before dinner. Pair dip-able healthy finger foods with fresh salsa, hummus, or creamy dips made from yogurt (like Sabra's Greek Yogurt Dips). These light snacks will be just enough to quiet grumbling tummies without spoiling any appetites.

2. Sparking water is a light and refreshing, calorie-free, alternative to soda. You can add flavor with fresh herbs, fruit or, a splash of juice. Offer an assortment of garnishes and let people choose their own flavor combinations. Kids love playing with their food, this is a perfect opportunity to let their creativity run wild. Chances are they'll come up with a new favorite flavor that would never appear on a store shelf.

3. Swap the meat. Whether you make your patties from scratch or buy them ready to grill, choose lean turkey instead of beef. Compare the two and you'll see a Kirkland (Costco's house brand) Signature turkey burger patty (151g) has 200 calories and 6 grams of fat, while the same size hamburger patty has 330 calories and 23 grams of fat. The turkey burgers even have more protein! Turkey burgers can grill up just as juicy as beef and, I promise, you won't miss the belt-tightening post-dinner bloat.

4. It's betta' with feta. Give your burger barbecue a Mediterranean twist with crumbled feta instead of sliced cheese. One tablespoon of reduced-fat feta cheese will give you loads of flavor with about 20 less calories and 4 less grams of fat compared to popular brands of sliced cheddar.

5. Add colorful veggies. Continue the Mediterranean theme with a selection of fresh and roasted vegetables. Leafy lettuce and thick tomato slices go beautifully with grilled zucchini and roasted bell peppers. Not only do these vegetables add essential flavor and color, but you can pile them sky high to make a truly epic burger. Remember you eat with your eyes first, make them drool!

6. Go with the Grain. Offering multi-grain buns with your burgers not only ups the visual drool factor, it boosts their staying power. Whole wheat and multi-grain buns have a higher nutrient density than potato, kaiser, or standard white buns. Higher nutrient density means more fuel for your body to digest and a longer time before you will be hungry again.

7. Replace your condiments. This is one of my favorite steps/tips/healthy habits. Rather than rummaging through the fridge for bottles of condiments with goo crusted around the lid, just offer a few flavorful spreads. Sabra Greek Yogurt Dips are just the thing to give everyone a chance to customize their burger. There are 8 creamy Greek Yogurt based flavors for our burger night we went with Crisp Bell Pepper, Mediterranean Herb, Farmers Ranch, and Cucumber Dill. Each unique flavor has 35-45 calories and 2 grams of protein per 2 tablespoon serving making them a perfect go-to condiment for your burger barbecue or any time snack.

8. Let everyone build their own burger. Buffet style serving is your best friend when feeding a group, particularly a group with an assortment of nutritional needs. A burger doesn't have to be on a bun, it could just as easily be between two slices of tomato or wrapped in a lettuce leaf. If everyone gets to assemble their own food you don't have to worry about meeting all the needs with a single dish. This is especially great for kids. Even though they eat almost everything, my kids have started to get choosey about which foods they eat on any given day. I have found they eat a wider variety of foods if I offer them separately. A burger barbecue dinner is one of the best meals to put out all the ingredients and let kids be in charge of what and how they eat (although we still keep an eye on them to make sure the meal is balanced before dessert is served).

9. Lighten up your sides. Who says you have to stick to a green salad to stay healthy. Be honest, what you really want is a scoop of creamy potato salad with your juicy grilled burger. You can have your potato salad and keep your meal lean and healthy by simply swapping your typical mayonnaise-based dressing for one made with lighter Greek Yogurt. The Sabra dips are as versatile as salad dressings as condiments. Simply assemble your favorite potato salad ingredients and fold them into the dressing of your choice.

Need a recipe to get your creative juices flowing? Below is a super easy recipe for Sweet Onion Potato Salad. With a 1 ingredient dressing of Diced Onion Greek Yogurt Dip, you'll be in and out of the kitchen in record time. Make sure to save yourself a scoop for the next day, this potato salad tastes even better as a leftover!

Recommended for this Recipe:

 Store Locator: Find Sabra Greek Yogurt Dips

Sweet Onion Potato Salad

Rose McAvoy

This potato salad comes together in a snap! Featuring buttery Yukon Gold potatoes and creamy Sabra Diced Onion Greek Yogurt Dip. As with most potato salad this is even better the next day -so save a scoop for leftovers. If you can boil water you can ace this healthy barbecue side dish!
Keep in mind: The hands on time for this easy salad is 15 minutes but the potatoes need an hour to chill before the salad can be assembled.

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 11 cups

Calories 165 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 3 ½ lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes scrubbed
• ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1 cups diced celery
• 1 cups chopped dill pickles
• 1 large hard boiled egg chopped
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 9oz container Sabra Diced Onion Greek Yogurt Dip

Instructions

 

• Fill a large stock pot ⅔ full of water, add the potatoes, and bring the water to a boil. Boil the potatoes uncovered for 15-20 minutes until the skin begins to peel back, The potatoes are done when a fork slides easily into the center of a potato. (Variations in size will affect the cooking time. If you have a variety of sizes make sure to check the smallest potatoes first and remove them as they finish cooking.) Remove the potatoes from the water to a baking pan. When the potatoes have cooled enough to touch cut the potatoes into bite size pieces - they should be tender enough that they need very little coaxing from your knife to fall into pieces. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer on your pan, sprinkle them with salt, and place the pan in the refrigerator to chill for an hour.
• When the potatoes are cold, toss them in a large bowl with the celery, pickles, egg, and pepper. Gently stir in the Diced Onion Yogurt Dip until the potatoes are lightly coated with dressing. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

I received compensation in exchange for writing this article. The views and ideas are entirely my own.