Summer is the season of cookouts. You can spend almost every weekend at a cookout if you want to. It’s a danger zone for those of us that are REAL foodies though, all that CAFO meat and heavily processed food. How’s a REAL foodie to survive the cookout season without looking like a food snob, making others feel guilty or simply making yourself crazy?
First: relax, you don’t have to worry about eating all REAL food all the time. Simply go, eat what you want and enjoy yourself – and don’t feel guilty. Of course if you’re going to a cookout every weekend you’ll want to have few other survival strategies.
Second: take some time to make a game plan and learn what foods are the safest choice. A hamburger is less processed and has fewer preservatives and additives than a hot dog. Plain potato or tortilla chips aren’t chocked full of artificial flavors or dyes like cheese puffs and other flavored/colored snacks.
Third: take food. I’m not saying take your own meal for yourself, take some REAL food to share with everyone. I have found that this is the best method for converting others to joy of eating REAL food. Cookouts are usually laid back events and it’s not weird or uncommon for people to bring food and most hosts are very appreciative when you bring something that you’ve spent time making. You don’t have to go out of your way to take a bunch of food, but a few key dishes will give you more than enough to fill your plate. I often take homemade burger buns, who can resist homemade rolls? People are usually so thankful when I do because let’s face it, store bought rolls usually leave a lot to be desired. Often I’ll take some ground venison for burgers as well, so people can try some game meat. Most of the people we know have mentioned that they’d love to try it someday, so it’s my way of providing us with some good meat and sharing with others something they’ve expressed interest in. Perhaps you can take some ground pastured beef and say you just wanted to share because it was so good. When you deal with issues this way you don’t come off as a food snob, you come of as someone that’s excited about something and wants to share it with others.
Then when people talk about how great your ___________ was, you have an opportunity to tell them about how you made it and why it’s so good. I’ve noticed through experience that people are usually amazed when they eat something homemade and will usually make it a point to come talk to you about it. I always tell them how I made it and why. More often than not it starts a wonderful conversation about REAL food. Even if I don’t convert people to eating REAL food, I’ve gotten a lot of people to spend a little more time thinking about where their food comes from.
Taking a plate of homegrown vegetables is also a great idea. I have yet to meet someone who isn’t excited when they see me bring a few freshly picked tomatoes from my garden to a cookout. Usually they’re oooing and ahhhing over the lovely color, the shape and the smell.
You may find however that eating too much processed food after eating mostly REAL will wreak havoc on your body – especially your digestive system. After eating REAL food for so long my body does not tolerate processed food at all. I end up with a processed food “hangover”- headache, stomachache, nausea and generally feel pretty terrible for the entire next day. If that is the case, eat before you go, then you can only eat a small amount. Taking some activated charcoal before and after you cookout meal with also help, it will help your body get rid of all of the toxins from the processed foods. If this is the case, be honest. Since most of my acquaintances read my blog, they know my food stances and they understand when I tell them “my body doesn’t handle processed food very well any more”. Usually they say “Oh, I can imagine”.
What tips do you have for surviving the cookout season as a REAL foodie?
I can also be found at Chiot’s Run where I blog daily about gardening, cooking, local eating, maple sugaring, and all kinds of stuff. You can also find me at Ethel Gloves, Simple, Green, Frugal, Co-op, and you can follow me on Twitter.
Having had food allergies (gluten-free) for the past 7 years, your strategies have become part of my normal routine. I think I’ve done all of them but the charcoal. Like you, my friends all know that my foods are limited so they are very accommodating, normally having some whole food available in the form of a veggie or fruit tray. If I am going to the party of someone that is unfamiliar with my allergies, I take something that I know I can eat.
I haven’t had a hot dog in years, but I have to be honest, I miss the simplicity of it all…
Personally, I want the recipe for the hamburger rolls!
The kaiser rolls in this image are from The Bread Baker’s Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread
But this recipe is one that friends ask me to bring every time I attend something, always a HUGE hit: Bread for Every Occasion
Hot dog and hamburger rolls still the hardest type of bread to find in bakeries– bakery ones are always either too dinner-rollish, or too hard. Thanks!
Oh boy do I miss kaiser rolls! No offense Southerners, but there’s more bread in life than cornbread (sweet or otherwise), biscuits, and Parker House rolls. Give me a good hard roll any day!
I’m planning our 2nd annual 4th Shindig – and the hard part is not being a food snob while shopping. I’m surprised how many people still cringe at the thought of bison burgers, or turn their noses up at quinoa or kamut. At least I can sneak a few of these items in for the more adventurous, and go with heirloom and organic veggies. Planning food for 50+ takes a little more planning when you make a lot of it from scratch!
First, let me say you rock. My wife and I are kind of conflicted. We hate that our friends are intimidated to cook for us, then we kind of complain about what’s served afterward, proving they had a point. (None of them will see this, I hope!) I like the idea of bringing a few things! We usually end up just hosting and this is cheaper and involves less clean up. Of course something else I’ve been known to do is help with marinades or grilling duties.
Wow- what a great post. My husband & I struggle with this same issue. In fact, I have gotten physically sick from family’s Thanksgiving dinners, etc because it’s made with processed foods and poor handling. I brought a quinoa dish last year and only one or two people tried it. After they raved about how good it was- everyone dug in and enjoyed it! They had never even heard of quinoa! Thanks for the tips- I will be using these!
Great post idea! I find that cookouts can be good when done right, but most of the time the food is very heavy and not at all appetizing. The homemade burger buns sound fantastic! I’ll definitely have to give them a try sometime.
I feel this way often and my in-laws’ cookouts. Hubster chalks it up to me being a picky eater and excuses my eating habits since I’m “from the city”. I’m a pesco-pollo vegetarian and it seems that every dish they make has bacon or pepperoni in it. I always try to bring at least two dishes to their cookouts, one healthy dish and one dessert. I agree with Rufus, hosting is def easier!
YUMMM! Everything looks so good! I want a hot dog now lol. Thanks for sharing! I’m new to blogging here and I just love how supportive and creative everyone is! If you have time, could you please check out my blog? http://shecooksandheeats.wordpress.com/ If you have any, I would love some advice