It's time to kick back, relax, and fire up the grill for a summer picnic. Summertime is the perfect time to take advantage of the bounty of seasonal foods and add flavor to your favorite dishes while eating healthfully. Try these scrumptious ideas at your next grill out.

Perk Up Your Protein

Herbs, spices, and light marinades are a tasty addition to grilling lean meats, poultry, and pork on the grill.

• Choose lean cuts of meat with the lowest percentage of fat, like top round, sirloin, tenderloin, and top loin.
• Prior to grilling, trim visible fat from meats and cut large portions of meat into smaller portion sizes. The size of a deck of cards is a good meat portion.
• Marinate chicken or pork in light Italian dressing, balsamic vinegar, or lime juice overnight for tender, juicy meats on the grill the next day.
• To season before grilling, add lemon pepper and mesquite seasoning to chicken or brush a bit of heart-healthy olive oil and garlic on fish.

Savor Seasonal Produce

Boost your fruit and vegetable intake and enjoy local fare on the grill.

Grilling fruits and vegetables is a great way to meet your daily fruit and vegetable quota while replacing your typical high-fat, high-carbohydrate summer sides (like pasta salad). Watch portion sizes, especially fruits, as they still provide natural sugars and carbohydrates that you need to consider carefully in your meal plan.

• For a tasty vegetable medley, brush some chopped red onion, zucchini, and tomatoes with some olive oil and garlic. Sprinkle with herbs of your choice (fresh from the garden or farmer’s market is even better), wrap in aluminum foil coated with light cooking spray, and roast on the top rack of your grill.
• For a healthier potato, try tossing a small (3-oz), sliced sweet potato with olive oil, salt, and pepper and grill until roasted brown.
• As a replacement for pies and cakes, marinate sliced, fresh pineapple in olive oil, cinnamon, and fresh lime juice, and grill for a tasty, healthy dessert that is sure to impress your guests.

Protect your Picnic

For a safe summertime feast:

• Marinate food in the refrigerator and never reuse marinade or add used marinade to cooked foods.
• Separate utensils and plates that handle raw and cooked foods to avoid cross contamination.
• Use a cooking thermometer to make sure hamburgers and bratwursts are cooked to 160°F, chicken breasts to 165°F, and steak to 170°F (for well done).
• Grilled foods should be refrigerated within 2 hours and within 1 hour in hot weather (above 90°F).