When it comes to barbecued food, almost every person, it seems – thinks theirs is the best. We’re fiercely loyal to our barbecue traditions – and it’s funny how this one method of dining establishes our identity like nothing else.

We have the Spanish to thank for starting the barbecue tradition. Without the pigs and cattle they brought to the New World in the 1500’s, the whole idea might never have gotten off the ground – the native bison and wild turkeys weren’t the best candidates for grilling. But, thankfully, the pigs thrived on the corn in the south and cattle drives turned places like Kansas City and Omaha into cow towns. And the rest – as they say – is history.

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Burgers will probably never have a reputation as a health food, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t think about what you slap between two halves of a burger bun. The concept – some meat (or meatlike) product, condiments, and the equivalent of a couple of slices of bread – doesn’t have to fly in the face of healthy eating. 

Let’s start with the patty. Some people have been known to choose a fish sandwich over a traditional burger – figuring that fish is always better than beef. This is true as long as the fish is grilled or broiled. But if the fish is fried – and slathered with tartar sauce – then the grilled beef burger is the clear winner, with half the fat and a third fewer calories.

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A recent article in the LA Times carried a headline that said, in effect, that watching television makes you gain weight.

No news there – after all, unless you’re doing sprints across the living room while watching your favorite show, you’re not burning calories.

But it isn’t television itself that’s the problem (although we often add insult to injury by snacking while we watch – more on that later). Simply sitting for long periods – whether it’s in front of the big screen or the little one – leads to biochemical changes in the way the body stores fat and sugar that negatively impact health.

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If you’ve spent any time in the yogurt section of your local supermarket lately, you might see more and more products that highlight their “live active cultures” – a nice way of saying that the yogurt is full of bacteria.

While the idea of consuming bacteria in the diet may not sound appealing, probiotic bacteria found in yogurt and other fermented dairy products can promote digestive health.

Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that help maintain the proper balance of the microorganisms (called flora) that live in your digestive tract.  Your digestive system is home to hundreds of types of probiotics, and these helpful bacteria keep the growth of other, potentially harmful, bacteria at bay – thus promoting healthy digestion.

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Spend some time around kids – or your household pets – and you’ll see that frequent grazing is the instinctual way to eat over the course of the day.

We certainly evolved as frequent foragers, not meal eaters, and frequent snacking isn’t necessarily a bad thing – if the foods you choose are appropriate, and if you are truly hungry, it can be a healthy habit.

We usually get hungry about every three to four hours, so several smaller meals spread throughout the day may actually prevent you from eating too much at meal time.   Snacks should have some healthy carbs – like fruit, veggies, whole grains (like crackers) – along with some protein (like nuts, soy protein products or nonfat dairy foods).

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