{"id":963,"date":"2023-05-23T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-05-23T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/personaltrainerfoodblog.com\/?p=963"},"modified":"2026-02-09T07:23:36","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T13:23:36","slug":"healthy-memorial-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.personaltrainerfood.com\/blog\/healthy-memorial-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Healthy Memorial Day: Low-Carb BBQ Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Memorial Day signals that summer is finally here! Here&#8217;s what to eat and what not to eat so you can enjoy yourself, rock <a href=\"https:\/\/www.personaltrainerfood.com\/blog\/swimsuit-trends-every-body-can-wear\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the latest swimsuit trends<\/a>, and have a healthy Memorial day with a low-carb BBQ celebration&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/personaltrainerfood.com\/your-plan.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-5791 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.personaltrainerfood.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/shutterstock_334006022.jpg?resize=1000%2C667&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"A group of friends waving flags on the beach in celebration of a healthy Memorial Day with Personal Trainer Food.\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.personaltrainerfood.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/shutterstock_334006022.jpg?w=1000&amp;ssl=1 1000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.personaltrainerfood.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/shutterstock_334006022.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.personaltrainerfood.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/shutterstock_334006022.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Healthy Memorial Day Main Courses: The easy part!<\/h2>\n<p>Of all the holidays, having a healthy Memorial day BBQ is the easiest because&#8230; well&#8230; BBQ!!!<\/p>\n<p>You can definitely eat all these yummy things:<\/p>\n<h3>Eat This&#8230;<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Burgers without the bun<\/li>\n<li>Steak<\/li>\n<li>Fajita beef (without the tortillas)<\/li>\n<li>Ribs<\/li>\n<li>Brisket<\/li>\n<li>Meatballs (that have not been cooked in a sweet sauce)<\/li>\n<li>Sausages<\/li>\n<li>Brats (you don&#8217;t need buns when you <a href=\"https:\/\/www.personaltrainerfood.com\/blog\/ptf-hot-dogs-for-summer-days\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">make these summer dogs<\/a>)<\/li>\n<li>Hot dogs<\/li>\n<li>Pork chops<\/li>\n<li>Pork ribs<\/li>\n<li>Grilled chicken<\/li>\n<li>Chicken satay skewers<\/li>\n<li>Fajita chicken (without the tortillas)<\/li>\n<li>Chicken wings (in sauces that aren&#8217;t sweet)<\/li>\n<li>Fried chicken (that is easy on the breading)<\/li>\n<li>Salmon<\/li>\n<li>Smoked salmon<\/li>\n<li>Tuna<\/li>\n<li>Halibut<\/li>\n<li>Cod fish<\/li>\n<li>Any fish! (peel the breading off if it comes heavily breaded)<\/li>\n<li>Crab<\/li>\n<li>Crabcakes<\/li>\n<li>Lobster<\/li>\n<li>Shrimp<\/li>\n<li>Clams<\/li>\n<li>Oysters<\/li>\n<li>Mussels<\/li>\n<li>Scallops<\/li>\n<li>Octopus<\/li>\n<li>Crawfish<\/li>\n<li>Shish kebabs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Go BIG with flavor&#8211; use this guide to see all the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.personaltrainerfood.com\/blog\/low-carb-sauces-condiments\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">low-carb sauces<\/a> you can use!<\/p>\n<h3>Not That&#8230;<\/h3>\n<p>While these are not technically main dishes, these breads might sneak onto your plate. Don&#8217;t be shy about removing them, even putting them in the trash before you sit down to eat.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Bread<\/li>\n<li>Cornbread<\/li>\n<li>Toast<\/li>\n<li>Buns<\/li>\n<li>Rolls<\/li>\n<li>Tortillas<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you really want a bun, try this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.personaltrainerfood.com\/blog\/bunless-portobello-mushroom\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">portobello mushroom bun hack<\/a> to stay on the low-carb side of life!<\/p>\n<p>You&#8217;ll also want to avoid ketchup, BBQ sauce, and relish&#8211; unless they are sugar-free. For a more complete list, here are all the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.personaltrainerfood.com\/blog\/low-carb-sauces-condiments\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sauces you should avoid<\/a> if you want to lose weight.<\/p>\n<h2>Sides &amp; Appetizers: These can be tricky<\/h2>\n<p>Chips are yummy. They&#8217;re crunchy and salty and full of flavor. And they will be everywhere, begging you to have just one handful. For a healthy Memorial day, grab a plate of fresh veggies to plunge into your favorite dip. Celery, carrots, and broccoli, are awesome crunchy, filling alternatives to those bags of salty saboteurs.<\/p>\n<p>Here are some more sides and appetizers you can eat:<\/p>\n<h3>Eat This&#8230;<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Deviled eggs<\/li>\n<li>Cheese platter<\/li>\n<li>Cheese crisps<\/li>\n<li>Pork rinds<\/li>\n<li>Guacamole<\/li>\n<li>Veggies raw or with full fat dip or dressing<\/li>\n<li>Spinach dip (avoid the bread cubes and bread bowl)<\/li>\n<li>Grilled or cooked non-starchy vegetables<\/li>\n<li>Greek salad<\/li>\n<li>Broccoli salad (if prepared with a creamy rather than sweet dressing)<\/li>\n<li>Coleslaw (if prepared with a creamy rather than sweet dressing)<\/li>\n<li>Spinach salad<\/li>\n<li>Caprese salad<\/li>\n<li>Tuna salad<\/li>\n<li>Antipasti platter<\/li>\n<li>Crustless quiche bites<\/li>\n<li>Little smokies<\/li>\n<li>Shrimp (skip the cocktail sauce)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Not That&#8230;<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Potato chips<\/li>\n<li>Tortilla chips<\/li>\n<li>Cheetos<\/li>\n<li>Doritos<\/li>\n<li>Fritos<\/li>\n<li>Pretzels<\/li>\n<li>Crackers<\/li>\n<li>Bean dip<\/li>\n<li>Seven layer dip<\/li>\n<li>Potato salad<\/li>\n<li>Macaroni salad<\/li>\n<li>Quinoa based salad<\/li>\n<li>Any pasta or noodle salad<\/li>\n<li>Any rice dishes<\/li>\n<li>Fruit salad<\/li>\n<li>Jell-O salad<\/li>\n<li>Jell-O snacks<\/li>\n<li>Beans<\/li>\n<li>Corn<\/li>\n<li>French fries<\/li>\n<li>Scalloped potatoes<\/li>\n<li>Potatoes (prepared any way)<\/li>\n<li>Texas caviar<\/li>\n<li>Hummus<\/li>\n<li>Pigs in a blanket<\/li>\n<li>Tamales<\/li>\n<li>Tortillas<\/li>\n<li>Bread rolls<\/li>\n<li>Crescent rolls<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Dessert: Here&#8217;s the hard part&#8230;<\/h2>\n<p>Homemade apple pie is going to be hard to resist. But you gotta do it if you are serious about your goals.<\/p>\n<p>We recommend avoiding fruit except one apple a day when you are in fat-burn mode. But if you are at your goal (or need some ideas to keep you from having pie), try having 1\/2 cup of these low-sugar fruits and berries instead:<\/p>\n<h3>Eat This&#8230;<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Apples<\/li>\n<li>Baked apple pie filling (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.personaltrainerfood.com\/blog\/thanksgiving-creative-food-idea-apple-pie-filling\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">easy recipe here<\/a>)<\/li>\n<li>Blueberries<\/li>\n<li>Blackberries<\/li>\n<li>Raspberries<\/li>\n<li>Strawberries<\/li>\n<li>Watermelon<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Not That&#8230;<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Pies<\/li>\n<li>Cakes<\/li>\n<li>Cheesecake<\/li>\n<li>Cupcakes<\/li>\n<li>Muffins<\/li>\n<li>Cookies<\/li>\n<li>Bars<\/li>\n<li>Candy<\/li>\n<li>S&#8217;mores<\/li>\n<li>Ice cream<\/li>\n<li>Popsicles<\/li>\n<li>Ice cream bars<\/li>\n<li>Trifles<\/li>\n<li>Fruit parfait<\/li>\n<li>Cobblers<\/li>\n<li>Tarts<\/li>\n<li>Shortcake<\/li>\n<li>Whipped cream<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>That said, if you are at your goal weight and do want some chocolatey goodness, try this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.personaltrainerfood.com\/blog\/guilt-free-chocolate-chip-cookies\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Low-Carb Guilt-Free Cookie recipe<\/a> from our CEO Mike.<\/p>\n<h2>Beverages: For some, the hardest part<\/h2>\n<p>This is hard to do, especially if you are surrounded by people who are drinking. If you need help with the party-pushers, here are some great tips to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.personaltrainerfood.com\/blog\/4-social-weight-loss-dilemmas-and-how-to-win-at-them\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">navigate social weight loss dilemmas<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>For a healthy Memorial day, you&#8217;ll have to avoid adult beverages because <a href=\"https:\/\/www.personaltrainerfood.com\/blog\/red-wine-alcohol-lose-weight\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">alcohol triggers fat storage<\/a>. You can do it. At the end of the day (or the next morning), you&#8217;ll be surprised at how good you feel after skipping the booze.<\/p>\n<h3>Drink This&#8230;<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Water<\/li>\n<li>Sparkling water<\/li>\n<li>Infused water<\/li>\n<li>Crystal Light<\/li>\n<li>Unsweet iced tea<\/li>\n<li>Iced black coffee<\/li>\n<li>Iced green tea<\/li>\n<li>Diet sodas<\/li>\n<li>Sugar-free mocktails (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.personaltrainerfood.com\/blog\/low-carb-cocktail-sugar-free-recipes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">recipes here<\/a>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you are already at your goal, use&nbsp;this handy guide if you would like to have a drink.<\/p>\n<h3>Not That&#8230;<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Sweetened sodas<\/li>\n<li>Punch<\/li>\n<li>Lemonade<\/li>\n<li>Fruit juice<\/li>\n<li>Sweet iced tea<\/li>\n<li>Smoothies<\/li>\n<li>Beer<\/li>\n<li>Wine<\/li>\n<li>Wine coolers<\/li>\n<li>Sangria<\/li>\n<li>Champagne<\/li>\n<li>Hard alcohol<\/li>\n<li>Mixed drinks<\/li>\n<li>Jell-O shots (are they even a drink?!)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>And finally, remember this: when in doubt you can always ask us! If we missed anything, or have questions about making your Memorial Day healthy give us a call at <a href=\"tel:800-273-1686\">800-273-1686<\/a>. You can also leave a message in the comments below!<\/p>\n<h2>A Reminder to be Grateful<\/h2>\n<p>Memorial Day is a day to honor our heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.<\/p>\n<p>As a reminder of what their service means to us, <strong>we dare you to watch this video&#8230;<\/strong>&nbsp;and TRY not to cry happy tears!<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/gnEnhmrOHwk?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p>(Yeah, we cried too!)<\/p>\n<h2>Save now on low-carb meal deliveries<\/h2>\n<p>Right now, you can save 30% on any of our weight loss meal plans. Personal Trainer Food delivers everything you need to lose weight&#8211; including a Weight loss Coach who will help you get your very best results.<\/p>\n<p>Enter SAVE30 in the promo code box when you check out. You&#8217;ll also enjoy fast, complimentary shipping right to your door.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.personaltrainerfood.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Get started now<\/a> \u2014 and get the RIGHT foods you need to lose those stubborn pounds.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.personaltrainerfood.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-14095\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.personaltrainerfood.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Get-beach-ready-in-less-time.jpg?resize=728%2C90&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"728\" height=\"90\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.personaltrainerfood.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Get-beach-ready-in-less-time.jpg?w=728&amp;ssl=1 728w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.personaltrainerfood.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Get-beach-ready-in-less-time.jpg?resize=300%2C37&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 728px) 100vw, 728px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h3>More Popular Resources for You<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.personaltrainerfood.com\/blog\/category\/healthy-living\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Everything you need to know to lose weight quickly is here.<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.personaltrainerfood.com\/blog\/category\/truth-in-weight-loss\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Get the straight facts about weight loss here.<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.personaltrainerfood.com\/blog\/category\/fitness\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Browse all our fitness articles.<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.personaltrainerfood.com\/blog\/category\/creative-food-ideas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">All our low-carb recipes can be found here.<\/a><\/p>\n<hr>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/personaltrainerfood.com\/your-plan.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-1964 size-full\" style=\"margin-right: 18px;\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.personaltrainerfood.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/jan.png?resize=125%2C125&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"125\" height=\"125\"><\/a><br \/>\n<strong>About the Writer:<\/strong> <em>100 pounds ago, Jan knew what it is like to be obese, unhappy, and stuck. She has spent the last 17 years as a fitness writer, trainer, yoga teacher, and Weight Loss Coach. Today, she&#8217;s proud to be a part of the Personal Trainer Food team so she can continue her goal to help others live their fullest lives possible. Email Jan@PersonalTrainerFood.com if you have any questions!<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><span style=\"color: #808080;\">Offer applicable for 30% off any of our meal plans. Use code SAVE30 at checkout to receive offer. May not be combined with other offers.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><span style=\"color: #808080;\">Weight loss results not guaranteed and are based on various factors. Copyright \u00a9 2024 Personal Trainer Food, All rights reserved.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Memorial Day signals that summer is finally here! Here&#8217;s what to eat and what not to eat so you can enjoy yourself, rock the latest swimsuit trends, and have a healthy Memorial day with a low-carb BBQ celebration&#8230; Healthy Memorial Day Main Courses: The easy part! Of all the holidays, having a healthy Memorial day [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5791,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4,721],"tags":[16,713,289,727],"class_list":{"0":"post-963","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-healthy-living","8":"category-featured-article","9":"tag-alcohol","10":"tag-angus-burger","11":"tag-healthy-holiday","12":"tag-the-ptf-way","13":"entry"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.personaltrainerfood.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/shutterstock_334006022.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7cwqv-fx","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.personaltrainerfood.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/963","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.personaltrainerfood.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.personaltrainerfood.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.personaltrainerfood.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.personaltrainerfood.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=963"}],"version-history":[{"count":54,"href":"https:\/\/www.personaltrainerfood.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/963\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21801,"href":"https:\/\/www.personaltrainerfood.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/963\/revisions\/21801"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.personaltrainerfood.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5791"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.personaltrainerfood.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=963"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.personaltrainerfood.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=963"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.personaltrainerfood.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=963"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}