Barbecues with friends and family are one of the best parts of summer. There’s truly nothing quite like kicking back on a warm evening with a cold drink and plate full of delicious food while the kids play nearby and your friends laugh and tell jokes around you.
Most barbecues involve bringing something to share. And whether you’re an invitee or hosting, you may want to have side dishes that provide a healthy, lower-calorie alternative to traditional options for anyone watching their waistline — without skimping on flavor.
If you’re looking for something new, try one of these healthy side dish recipes that will wow your guests at that next summer barbecue. Enjoy!
1) Creamy Cucumber Salad
Serves: 6
Calories: 54
Irresistible flavor awaits you with this refreshing recipe that combines sour cream, shallots and spices with cucumbers for an easy-to-make summery salad you and your friends won’t soon forget.
> Recipe courtesy A Couple Cooks
2) Favorite Quinoa Salad
Serves: 8
Calories: 205
A refreshing, crisp, Mediterranean-inspired combination awaits you with this quinoa salad recipe that’s easily put together with a few simple ingredients. It’s vegetarian and gluten-free and packs up easily for a quick concoction your friends and family will love!
> Recipe courtesy Cookie and Kate
3) Pesto Potato Salad
Serves: 6
Calories: ~250
Serve this simple but flavorful recipe warm or cold. It uses a dairy-free pesto and just three other main ingredients — potatoes, bacon and red onion. It packs a unique experience that will have your guests raving and wanting more!
> Recipe courtesy Real Simple Good
4) Creamy Broccoli Salad
Serves: 6
Calories: 110
If you’re a bacon lover but want to ensure you don’t go overboard, this recipe for a lighter creamy broccoli salad is for you. Its two strips of bacon go a long way towards indulgence, combining perfectly with the many other flavors in this healthier version of the summer side dish classic.
> Recipe courtesy Food Network
5) Oven-Fried Garlic Parmesan Green Beans
Serves: 4
Calories: 120
If you’ve ever had trouble getting the kids to eat their green beans (or choking them down yourself), then this recipe is perfect. They’re cheesy and garlicky and oven-cooked (instead of fried) for a tasty side dish that kids and adults alike will demand again and again.
> Recipe courtesy Sugar Free Mom
6) Peach and Strawberry Fruit Salad
Serves: 6
Calories: 80
This one’s for the sweet-lovers! This recipe provides an elevated fruit salad with a pop of unique flavor using lime and basil. It also uses honey as a natural sweetener, ensuring a healthier version of the classic barbecue fruit salad.
> Recipe courtesy Life Currents
7) Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Serves: 6
Calories: 190
This incredibly easy recipe makes an excellent side dish for all the sweet potato fans — and may even convert the ones who aren’t! Simply cut up the potatoes, add a bit of spice, and pop it in the oven for 40 minutes. Voila! Simple roasted sweet potatoes everyone will enjoy.
> Recipe courtesy A Pinch of Healthy
8) Mediterranean Pasta Salad
Serves: 10
Calories: 320
Try this delicious, colorful pasta salad for a bright, warm taste inspired by Mediterranean culture. It creates a salty-sweet taste with lots of fresh vegetables and versatile pasta noodles for bold flavors that will steal the side dish show!
> Recipe courtesy The Modern Proper
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Author: Caitlin H
Diet-to-Go Community Manager
Caitlin is the Diet-to-Go community manager and an avid runner. She is passionate about engaging with others online and maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle. She believes moderation is key, and people will have the most weight loss success if they engage in common-sense healthy eating and fitness.