Summertime is both one of the easiest times to get in shape, thanks to motivational beach bikini's and outdoor-friendly weather, and one of the hardest, thanks to summer barbecues full of fattening buffet meals and sugary homemade desserts. So how can a person reap the benefits of warm weather, outdoor sports, and skimpy clothes without the downside of fattening foods and too much partying? One solution is to throw a barbecue or two yourself and make all the favorites (like coleslaw, potato salad, and baked beans) but make them healthier by leaving out the unnecessary fats and sugar. Nobody will even notice the difference, seriously!

Barbecue favorites, the healthy (and tasty!) way:
Corn on the Cob
What makes it so bad: the butter
How to make it better: Skip the butter and go with one of these options instead: a squeeze of lime and little salt, a brush of olive oil and a few red pepper flakes, or try rolling the cobs in a mix of fresh herbs like basil & oregano or ginger & curry powder.

Coleslaw
What makes it so bad: the mayo and dressing
How to make it better: Substitute light mayo or use fat-free Italian dressing and make the slaw the day before so all the flavors have time to soak up together (it's what all the greatest chefs do).

Baked Beans
What makes them so bad: the fat (i.e. the bacon)
How to make them better: Skip the bacon altogether and you also skip 16g of fat. Throw in some chopped onions, peppers, and liquid smoke and nobody will miss the meat (there's probably plenty of other meat at the barbecue anyway).

Potato Salad
What makes it so bad: Its high glycemic index causes your blood sugar to skyrocket
How to make it better: Cook the potatoes the night before and refrigerate them, then when you make the salad the next day make it German style (2 parts olive oil to 7 parts white vinegar, season with mustard, parsley, and a little sugar). There's something in the refrigeration and the vinegar together that minimizes the effect it has on the body's blood sugar.

Pasta Salad
What makes it so bad: Pasta made of refined flour that gives you little to no nutrients and increases your blood sugar
How to make it better: Use whole grain pasta and get more nutrients, more filling fiber, and less of a glucose boost

Chips and Salsa
What makes it so bad: The dip and the fat in the fried kinds of chips
How to make it better: Serve pretzels or baked chips (whole grain ones if you can find them) and serve them with salsa or a spicy non-fat bean dip.