We didn’t forget the drinks, either. Serve Blueberry Lime Margaritas for the adults and Blueberry Lemonade for the kids. If your friends aren’t blueberry fans, mix up a lighter, homemade batch of fresh iced tea instead.

Our Labor Day Menu
• Blueberry Lime Margaritas
• Blueberry Lemonade
• Rosemary Vegetable Kabobs
• Avocado and Corn Salsa
• Grilled Chicken Breast with Spicy Peach Glaze
• Grilled Zucchini Rolls with Herbs and Cheese
• Grilled Peach Sundaes
• Grilled Pineapple with Vanilla Ice Cream and Rum Sauce

More Ideas:
• Make Your Own Lemonade
• Make Your Own Iced Tea
• Pasta Salad, Lightened Up
• Potato Salad, Lightened Up
• 5 Ingredient Fix: Cucumber Salad
• Host an Indoor Cookout

Get the recipe »

While the Grill is Heating
Set out a bowl of garbanzo bean and zucchini salad with some tortilla chips and a plate of cut-up veggies for pre-meal munching. The protein and fiber in the dish will keep everyone full and happy until dinner, and the summery flavors make this a perfect complement to any picnic fare.

Show-Stopping Mains
Banish boring: A spicy, fruity glaze peps up grilled chicken — this is a savory spin on sweet summer peaches. Can’t imagine a barbecue without beef? Reach back in America’s history to the days of the Wild West for Cowboy Steak with Coffee and Chili Rub. You can make them both outdoors on the grill or inside if it rains.

A Classic Side, Updated
Who says potato salad has to be soaked in mayo? This red-white-and-blue version uses a touch of olive oil — high in healthy monounsaturated fatty acids — in the dressing instead. A bonus: no mayo means fewer worries about the salad spoiling faster under the summer sun (but, remember, don’t let any food sit out for more than an hour or so in the heat). Plus, your guests will get a kick out of the festive colors. If pasta salad is more your thing, check out our tips for a lighter mix.

A Berry Colorful Finish
Celebrate Independence Day by layering ripe red strawberries with plump blueberries and blackberries — all coming into season now. All three provide vitamin C, and this dessert looks so patriotic when it’s served. Go easy on the whipped cream — just a dollop on top adds the perfect amount of creamy richness to the juicy berries. And while the berry dish is kid-friendly, these amaretto-infused watermelon and cantaloupe balls are a fun alternative for the adults. Serve them in the melon rind for a fresh display.

Refresher Course
Our lightened-up lemonade and iced tea tips and recipes go great with any outdoor picnic or barbecue. No instant mixes or artificial sweeteners here!

Our Fourth of July Menu
• Grilled Chicken Breasts with Spicy Peach Glaze

• Cowboy Steak with Coffee and Chili Rub
• Garbanzo Bean and Zucchini Salad
• Red, White and Blue Potato Salad
• Red, White and Blue Fruit Cups
• Watermelon and Cantaloupe Salad with Mint Vinaigrette
• Lighter Lemonade Mixes
• Tips for Brewing Your Own Iced Tea

Alternative Equipment
Just because the backyard is a washout doesn’t mean your picnic has to be. Of course, you can’t lug the gas or charcoal grill indoors (not safe!) but stovetop grill pans can pinch hit. They come in just about every shape and size, and some can even be transferred to the oven or broiler. Grill pans will give you the same sear and grill marks as an outdoor gas grill. If you’re a charcoal or mesquite chip lover, you will have to make due with this option — and get your extra flavor boost from spices and condiments.

One major warning: I’ve learned the hard way that food cooked on a grill pan can smoke up your kitchen in minutes. Resist the temptation to jack up the heat (keep it on medium) and go easy on the sauces and marinades — they’ll quickly burn and get super smoky.

More Tips to Remember
1. Plan your menu accordingly. If your grill pan is smaller than your outdoor grill (chances are that it is), you might have to take those huge steaks and racks of ribs off the menu. Grill burgers or chicken breast in batches and opt for shrimp and veggies that are quick cooking and easy to handle.

2. Food safety first. The safety rules still apply when grilling indoors; keep everybody healthy with by marinating, cooking and defrosting correctly. Brush up on these must-know grilling tips that we’ve covered before.

Recipes for main dishes:
• Grilled Shrimp with Grapefruit BBQ Sauce
• Mediterranean Portobello Mushroom Burgers
• Stuffed Turkey Burgers
• Rosemary Vegetable Kabobs

Sides & Desserts
Easy access to an indoor fridge and oven may actually give you more options when it comes to side dishes and sweet treats. Dig into your healthy recipe repertoire and offer a mix of finger foods and class picnic fare.

Another menu planning tip: think about what dishes you can make ahead of time in order to have ample stove, pantry and counter-space.

Recipes for side dishes and sweets:
• Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil Bruschetta
• Garden Pasta Salad
• Pesto Potato Salad
• Triple Chocolate Cookies
• Fruit Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Beverages and Cocktails
Even if the festivities have stay in the house, don’t count out a cooler filled with ice, water, beer, wine and other drinks just outside your door. A quick reach to grab a cold one is easy for everyone and saves you lots of refrigerator space. Pitchers of freshly made iced tea and lemonade are more picnic classics that will never go out of style.

Recipes for summer drinks:
• Berry Spritzer
• Sangria
• Lemonade

Just because it’s got mayonnaise and a Mexican flair doesn’t mean it’s an overindulgence — this whole meal weighs in at only 360 calories and less than 10 grams of fat!

Fish Tacos with Chili Mayo & Grilled Corn
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

4 ears fresh corn, husks removed
1 pound raw Mahi Mahi fillets
2 teaspoon canola oil
Juice of 1/2 a lime
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

8 corn tortillas, warmed
2 cups shredded green cabbage
Lime wedges

Chili Mayo:
2 tablespoons nonfat Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 teaspoon chili sauce (such as Sriracha)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Heat grill or grill pan to medium high. Place corn on grill and cook for 4-6 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Season fish with canola oil, lime juice, salt and pepper. Grill for 5-6 minutes per side until cooked through. Transfer to a plate and break up into chunks. For the chili mayo, place yogurt in a small bowl lined with paper towel for 5 minutes to remove some of the excess liquid. In another small bowl, combine yogurt, mayonnaise, ketchup, chili sauce and lemon juice; whisk to combine. Assemble tacos in tortillas with fish, cabbage and chili mayo; serve with corn and lime wedges.

Calories: 360 calories
Total Fat: 9.5 grams
Saturated Fat: 1 gram
Protein: 27 grams
Carbohydrate: 46 grams
Sodium: 245 milligrams
Cholesterol: 83 milligrams
Fiber: 6 grams

Get the recipe »

(P.S.: Dana talked about faux frying yesterday — this recipe is another lighter french fry alternative.)

Peach-Mustard BBQ Sauce
Making your own BBQ sauce means you get to control the quality of your ingredients — there’s no high fructose corn syrup in this recipe. Fresh peach jam (look for it at your farmers’ market!) adds a natural sweetness that you won’t find in bottled sauces; the mustard gives it a little kick. Add a light basting on chicken, shrimp, pork or veggies and you’ll be hooked.

Couscous Salad with Tomatoes & Mint
This simple salad is more exciting than your usual leafy greens (it travels well, too). Fresh vegetables and herbs add vitamins A, C and K; pine nuts add healthy fat and a bit of crunch. Try making it with whole-wheat couscous for some extra fiber.

Fresh Corn Tomato Salad
This salad is perfect for all the fresh vegetables and herbs coming into season. It’s packed with flavor, vitamin A and potassium, and delivers them in a light 215 calories per serving. I made a large batch a few days ago, and my husband and I can’t stop eating it. The combo of fresh corn, tomatoes and basil screams summer!

UPDATE: Watch the segment HERE — and let us know if you make these easy dishes yourself.

Cancer Risk #1: HCAs
There are two possible links to cancer when grilling. The first is heterocyclic amines (HCAs), which are formed when amino acids (the building block of proteins) and creatine (a compound naturally found in the muscles of meat) react at high cooking temperatures. Now, grilling isn’t the only way to get HCAs; broiling and frying can do it, too.

Cancer Risk #2: PAHs
The other cancer-causing substance is polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), which forms when fat from grilled food drips on hot coals or ceramic bricks and produces smoke. The chemical travels in the smoke, which then infuses it into your foods. The higher the heat, the more PAH is formed. Smoking meats can also form higher PAH levels.

Decreasing the Chances
I won’t go into the full science — and they’re still researching risks and any links. There’s need to give up grilling (my husband would never agree to that), but you can takes some steps to play it safer:

1. Trim fat off meats and poultry to reduce the drippings or opt for leaner cuts (read our recommended list). Catch drippings in foil or a pan to decrease extra smoke.
2. Cook at lower temperatures (around 350-400°F) and make sure the flames do not come into direct contact with your food.
3. Don’t overcook food — HCAs and PAHs accumulate more in the blackened part of the food. Yes, char marks are part of grilling’s beauty, but cut burnt sections off.
4. Marinate your meats, poultry and fish before grilling. This reduces the amount of HCAs that can form during cooking. Even marinating for as little as 10 minutes helps. before cooking, remove the food from the marinade and drain for a minute to prevent flare ups.
5. Try certain marinade ingredients. These include vinegar, citrus juice and vegetable oil. Herbs like basil, mint, rosemary, thyme, oregano and sage add flavor and are linked to reduced HCA formation.
6. Turn your food often. According to a recent study, burgers cooked at lower temps but turned every minute can produce 75-95% fewer cancer-causing agents than those turned every 5 minutes or so.

This article mentions research that showed adding a cup of mashed cherries to a pound of ground meat suppressed carcinogen formation by 90%. Hmm, cherry-flavored burgers? I wonder how those would taste.

READ MORE:
• Lean Meats & Recipes for the Grill
• 8 Grilling Safety Tips You Need to Know
• Cookout-Friendly Side Salads

Grilling vs. Smoking
Grilling is relatively quick food prep method, but smoking is all about low and slow. Most grilled foods are cooked at a temperature of at least 400°F. Smoking can be done in special smokers or on a closed grill with a pan of water beneath the meat; average temperatures only reach between 225°F and 300°F. Grilling is considered a direct heat source. Hot grates on the grill come in contact with the food, cooking it. Smoking works through indirect heat — hot smoke surrounds and cooks the food and infuses it with that smoky flavor.

Make sure to check the manufacturer’s directions on grills and smoking equipment for proper instructions for use and cooking fuels. Also, you don’t want these heat sources to be too close to trees, shrubs or your house!

Rule #1: Wash those hands
As many times as I say it—people still don’t do it. Hands should be washed with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds before touching food. This is sometimes difficult when cooking outdoors but make it a priority to reduce the spread of harmful bacteria. If it’s truly impossible to access a sink, then some hand sanitizer will do the trick.

Rule #2: Defrost safely
Think about what you plan to grill or smoke ahead of time, and place it in the refrigerator to defrost. Make sure meat and poultry are completely defrosted before cooking so the food cooks evenly. Never defrost on the countertop — that’s how bacteria spreads like wildfire. This is especially important for smoking meats because food is usually left in the smoker for hours.

Rule #3: Marinate smart
Marinating adds flavor, tenderizes meat and helps minimize bacterial growth (those guys don’t like very acidic environments and many marinades have highly acidic ingredients like vinegar or lemon juice). Marinating works best for a minimum of 30 minutes. Always marinate in the fridge and keep foods in a tightly covered container to prevent spills. As for leftover marinade, discard or boil it before serving with cooked foods.

Rule #4: Pre-cook immediately
Some folks like to partially cook food in the microwave, oven or stove to reduce cooking time. This should be done immediately before you put the food on the grill or smoker. Letting partially cooked food hang out increases your risk of bacteria growth.

Rule #5: Use a thermometer
Using a meat thermometer is the only sure way to know your food is cooked through. When using a smoker, have a meat thermometer handy and use an oven thermometer inside the smoker to make sure you maintain a proper cooking temperature. FightBac.org has a quick cooking temp guide I always follow.

Rule #6: Don’t leave food sitting around
We’ve all been tempted by leftover burgers and ribs still sitting on the picnic table a couple hours after dinner. Resist! And not just to avoid the extra calories. Keep hot food consistently hot (140°F or warmer). Store cooked meats on the side of the grill rack (not directly over the heat) or in a 200°F oven. No food should sit out at room temperature for more than 2 hours. In hot weather (over 90°F), make it an hour and then toss.

Rule #7: Don’t reuse plates or utensils
Never take cooked food off the grill and place it where the raw meat was. This is a classic case of cross-contamination and can make you sick. Same goes for utensils like tongs, forks and basting brushes you dip in marinades — use separate ones for cooked and ready-to-eat foods.

If you don’t think cross-contamination is a risk, think again. A Milwaukee Sizzler restaurant just settled a lawsuit with the family of a girl who died after eating an E. Coli-tainted watermelon. Where did the E. Coli come from? From ground beef that workers prepared on the same counter as the melon.

Rule #8: Keep it spic & span
When the cooking is done, clean up your grill and utensils well. Use a sturdy grill brush to scrub your grill grates clean (it’s actually easier to do when the grill is still warm) — you’ll get more mileage out of your grill and keep that nasty grime off the next thing you cook.

The Salt & Sugar
Packaged and restaurant food accounts for more than 75% of the sodium we eat daily. The American Medical Association estimates we’d save 150,000 lives each year if we cut 50% of the salt from our diets. Get started by checking the sodium levels in your sauces. Try to skip anything with more than 500 milligrams per serving.

Sugar is the second issue. When I started researching pre-made BBQ sauces, I found high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as the main ingredient on many. Here’s a tip on label reading: items listed first are heaviest by weight. If HFCS is the first or second ingredient in your sauce, that means there’s a heck of a lot of it.

Even if you don’t find HFCS, most sauces are sweetened with something. Molasses or honey (or both) are two other common sweeteners; you may also find brown rice syrup. A little sweetness is okay, but you don’t want a sauce that could double as dessert. I usually look for 15 grams of sugar or less.

Compare Labels
A label’s typical serving is 2 tablespoons. On different brands, I found calories ranged from 25 to 100 per serving. Sugar ranged from 4 to 12 grams per serving and sodium ranged from 190 to 510 milligrams (8% to 21% of your recommended daily intake).

You can find low-calorie versions that have minimal sodium. EatingWell, one of our favorite magazines, taste-tested several popular brands and picked Dinosaur Bar-B-Que Sensuous Slathering Sauce as tops. It only has 25 calories, no fat, 5 grams of sugar (from brown sugar) and 240 milligrams of sodium per serving (10% of your daily needs) — definitely a good choice.

Other Healthy Options
Here are some brands we like:
TJ’s Bold and Smoky Kansas City Style Barbecue Sauce
Consorzio Organic BBQ Sauce
Annie’s Naturals Organic Smokey Maple BBQ Sauce
Bone Suckin’ Barbecue Sauce & Marinade Original

Or Make Your Own
Recipes to try:
Peach-Mustard BBQ Sauce
Grilled Shrimp with Grapefruit BBQ Sauce
Grilled Chicken with Cherry-Chipotle BBQ Sauce

TELL US: Do you have a favorite store-bought brand?