A summer BBQ is a surefire way to have family and friends knocking down your door.  Get creative beyond hot dogs, hamburgers, potato salad and pie with these ideas to keep your dishes light and delicious:

“Veggie” Burger: Pack in the produce with a double hit of veggies on (and in!) your burger.  Take a look in your fridge and dice whatever vegetables you have hanging around—onions, peppers and mushrooms would all be great.  Mix this in with ground turkey or a low-fat ground beef, mold your patties and pop them on the grill.  Top with some dark greens like spinach for an extra vitamin and iron boost.  Swap out a high-cal cheese sauce or mayonnaise for a The Laughing Cow Light wedge and save your spread 100 calories!  For a gourmet taste, try the Light Blue Cheese wedge – yum!

Hot Peppers: Summer is the season for peppers, so take advantage of the variety and throw a few on the grill.  Save yourself the stress and make your stuffing ahead of time: the night before, cook up some quinoa and mix with drained low-sodium black beans.  Cut a slit in your pepper, scrape out the seeds, and stuff with your quinoa mixture.  Chop up a couple Mini Babybels and press the cubes in with the filling.  Brush with olive oil and throw on the grill until the pepper begins to soften and your stuffing warms up.  Serve with a lime wedge and hot sauce for a light and spicy side.

Just Desserts: Although grilled foods tend toward the savory, a BBQ isn’t complete without the sweet.  Dessert kebobs made with fresh fruit are a fun way to utilize your grill to top off your meal.  Chop larger fruits like bananas and pineapple into bite-sized pieces, and trim the tops off your strawberries.  Using metal skewers or soaked wood ones, grill your fruit for 1-2 minutes on each side.  Go a little crazy and throw a marshmallow or two on for good (gooey) measure!

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