Grill Smarter: Healthy Swaps for Your Summer Cookout

Summer cookout season is here, and we're all about it. The good news? You don't have to choose between a great cookout and your health goals. With a few simple swaps, you can build a metabolically healthy plate that's just as crave-worthy as the classics minus the seed oils, refined sugars, and mystery additives.

Here are our favorite healthy grilling swaps, broken down by category, so you can keep the flavor and ditch the junk.

Protein Swaps for Your Summer BBQ

Conventional hamburgers and hot dogs are often made with conventionally farmed beef and loaded with seed oils, corn syrup, and other additives you don't need.

Lanby Swap: Reach for Force of Nature, Primal Pastures, or Teton Waters Ranch for clean, grass-fed beef patties, ground meat, and hot dogs.

Standard hamburger and hot dog buns are typically made with refined flours and added sugars.

Lanby Swap: Try Food for Life buns, AWG Bakery buns, or skip the bun altogether with crisp lettuce wraps.

Healthier BBQ Side Dishes

Bagged chips are usually fried in seed oils and packed with refined flours and additives.

Lanby Swap: Stock up on Siete chips, Masa chips, or Boulder Canyon chips for the same crunch, cleaner ingredients.

Classic pasta salad relies on refined-flour noodles and a long list of unnecessary add-ins.

Lanby Swap: Make your own with lentil- or chickpea-based pasta for extra protein and fiber. We love this simple, delicious arugula lentil pasta salad recipe. Baked potatoes or grilled veggies are great low-effort alternatives, too.

Clean Condiment Swaps for Grilling Season

Most ketchup is sweetened with high fructose corn syrup.

Lanby Swap: Primal Kitchen Unsweetened Ketchup delivers the same tangy flavor without the added sugar.

Conventional mayo often hides seed oils, natural flavors, and added sugars in the ingredient list.

Lanby Swap: Primal Kitchen or Chosen Foods Avocado Oil Mayo are creamy, clean-label staples for your grill table.

Most bottled BBQ sauces are sweetened with high fructose corn syrup and other additives.

Lanby Swap: Both Primal Kitchen and Nobel Made make excellent better-for-you BBQ sauce options.

Better-for-You Summer Drinks

Skip the soda and reach for Spindrift instead — real fruit, sparkling water, no fake sweeteners.

Craving a cold one or a glass of wine? Athletic Brewing and Dry Farm Wines offer lower sugar and lower alcohol options so you can toast the season without the crash. We also love Cann and Ghia for alcohol free options. 

Healthy Dessert Swaps for Cookouts

Store-bought popsicles are often filled with corn syrup, natural flavors, and additives.

Lanby Swap: Try GoodPop, or make your own pops at home — we love this popsicle mold for an easy DIY treat.

Craving ice cream? Whip up your own "nice cream" using frozen bananas, or check out our other favorite clean ice cream picks.

Packaged cookies, brownies, and cakes are usually made with refined flours and sugars.

Lanby Swap: Simple Mills, Skout Organic, or our team's go-to chocolate chip cookies hit the spot without the sugar crash.

Pro Tip: Add Gut-Healthy Fermented Foods

Round out your spread with pickles or sauerkraut on the table for an easy dose of fermented probiotics with every bite.

The Bottom Line

Healthy grilling is all about finding better alternatives for the foods you already love, no need to sacrifice taste or fun to keep your summer cookouts metabolically healthy.

Follow along on The Lanby blog for more science-backed wellness tips, seasonal recommendations, and practical ways to help you get well, better.