Rachel Crocker, Fitness Editor

Barbecues (or BBQs, to the concise) can be a clean-eating gal’s safe haven. With plenty of nutritious options featured in most spreads – lean grilled meats, big leafy salads – one could assume that it would be difficult to take a diet misstep.

But that’s not always the case. Fat-laden sides, creamy desserts, judgment-impairing drinks and oversized portions (along with generous second and third helpings) are the usual suspects in many an outdoor meal.

I picked the brain of Fatima Leite Kusch, the lovely model for August 2012’s suspension training story, for tips to help me stay on the straight-and-narrow at summertime gatherings.

• Do your research. “If I go to a barbecue, I find out what is being served,” says Fatima. “Usually there are things I can work in (to my diet).”
• Although I know in the past it’s been debated on these very blogs, I personally find no problem with bringing your own food to a barbecue (as long as you notify the host beforehand), and Fatima agrees. To make the suggestion a little more well-received, offer to bring a large serving of one of the dishes you intend on enjoying – that way, everyone can join in on the clean-eating fun.
• If you plan on eating chicken, Fatima suggests marinating them beforehand and bringing them raw to the event. This will allow you to pop them on the grill so you “aren’t eating out of Tupperware and feeling left out.” (I think we can all admit that meat right off the barbecue is much more appetizing than the reheated kind.)
• “Depending on the event, I might choose my free (or “cheat”) meal to be that day,” Fatima notes. This might be a good option if the barbecue is to celebrate a milestone in someone’s life, or if it’s a gathering of people you haven’t seen in a long time. After all, these are occasions that you’ll really want to enjoy!
• Craving a cold one? Fatima points to the drinks featured in Oxygen’s 2012 Glutes special issue as clean substitutions for a beer or mojito. (Especially the Minty Iced Green Tea; check it out on page 55!)
  
  

To find out more about Fatima, visit www.fatimaleitekusch.com

Follow Rachel on twitter at @Rachel_Crocker