Diet-friendly, non-meat foods you can braai for great taste & weight loss!

Braaing seems to have been reserved for meat and fish. But it can be used for much, much more.

Cooking food over a flame really does something great for the flavour and texture of the food, plus it’s a fairly healthy method of cooking. It also means that you can participate in one of SA’s favourite pass-times with friends – even if you’re on a diet!

I’ve chosen non-meat foods for budget and health reasons. We all know that a healthy diet should be mostly fresh fruit and veg and a very small portion of meat and carbs. However, many people get ‘stuck’ trying to figure out what to cook if they don’t do meat and potatoes…

Here are four fab foods you can braai that you may not be aware of yet. Try them ASAP!

Pizza

Pizza… in a DIET article? Well, yes. If you do it right. If you make your pizza with a thin base and stick to veggies for your topping, and go sparingly on the cheese then you can definitely use pizza as a diet-friendly meal. Obviously, you just have to stick to healthy portion sizes too!

Cooking pizza on a braai is simple. You can get pizza stones, and pizza plates as well as pizza ‘spatulas’ that can all help cooking the pizza on the braai. However, you can also use a lightly greased metal baking tray which will do the trick just as well.

Make sure the fire is not too hot and pop your pizza on the grill. If you have a Weber style braai, close the lid to cook more evenly. Cook for around five to seven minutes.

Tasty veggies

Most veggies can be grilled, but the best ones are the chunkier types that turn sweet when caramelised over the flames. Think corn-on-the-cob, onions, bell peppers, zucchini and large mushrooms. They all cook in different times, so test every now-and-then to get a sense of how long to keep them on the grill for.

You can make delicious veggie skewers as a healthy side for your braai this weekend. Sprinkle with a little salt, and a dab of mustard or your favourite sauce.

Potatoes

Cooking potatoes on the grill is wonderful. It takes the healthy, but humble baked potato to the next level. Wrap the whole potato in foil with a little butter,  garlic, and salt, and pop on the grill or in amongst the coals. Cook for around 30 minutes or until the potato is soft. Delish.

If you’re wondering about potatoes being ‘diet food’, check this out.

Fruit skewers

Cooking fruit over a flame. Ever thought of that one?

Well, if you want a quick, easy, healthy dessert option then you’ve come to the right place. You can grill almost any fruit. Strawberries, peaches, apples, pears, pineapples and bananas are great choices to start off with.

Cut them into chunks, pop onto skewers and grill until they turn golden.

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