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CNN Saturday Morning News

Meal Plans For Fourth of July Cookout

Aired June 29, 2002 - 08:33   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Hot dogs and hamburgers, if you don't watch out, those calories can really add up. But if your Fourth of July plans include a cookout, you don't have to go really off your diet to enjoy a delicious meal.

Joining me is Julie Grimes, assistant food editor for "Cooking Light" magazine. She's here with a few suggestions for a healthy barbecue.

Good morning.

JULIE GRIMES, "COOKING LIGHT": How are you?

PHILLIPS: Very good. This is looking good. I'm hungry.

GRIMES: Well, great, we've got food for you here. I'm excited to be here. Thanks for having me.

PHILLIPS: No, it's wonderful. What are you going to start with. I'm seeing a turkey burger. Now, this is a big family -- favorite family thing for us.

GRIMES: Absolutely. Well, let me set it up just a bit. You're absolutely right. Those Fourth of July backyard barbecues, you do not have to go off your diet. You can put aside the normal hot dogs and hamburgers that you think about, and we've got some interesting alternatives for you today.

A turkey burger does not mean dry and tasteless. So, let me tell you how you do that. We start with 12 ounces of ground turkey breast. The key there is to find the turkey breast, because that's going to be your leanest alternative. And you notice I just want to mix that very gently with hot turkey Italian sausage. And the reason we're mixing these two is so that we can get a really moist, yummy flavor for our patties.

So, I think that looks pretty good. You notice I don't want to overmix because that can also lead to kind of tough, dense burgers. What we're after here are moist, juicy, flavorful -- this is kind of like an Italian meat ball sub sandwich.

PHILLIPS: When we've done it -- our family, we've added onion soup mix. Is that a good idea or bad idea? GRIMES: Sure, it's a great idea. You know, what you're doing when you add onion soup mix is your just adding flavor, and I'm not opposed to adding flavor at any given opportunity when you're cooking. And onion soup mix is -- the one thing you might want to watch out is for sodium with something like that. But otherwise, you're getting lots of flavor.

So that's sort of built into our turkey sausage here today. And that's where we're going to rely on lots of flavor and lots of moisture so that we get juicy, succulent burgers.

Now, I've got a tip from our test kitchen on shaping the burgers. Again, you notice I'm just working very quickly and shaping the patties. If you work with moist hands, what that's going to do is keep most of the meat in your patty and not on your hands, and so that's a great tip from our test kitchen.

PHILLIPS: All right. While you putting these together, we've got Bill Phillips with us, too. He's live from Los Angeles.

Have you read his book, by the way?

GRIMES: I'm familiar with it.

PHILLIPS: Hey that was a safe answer. Bill, can you hear us OK?

BILL PHILLIPS, "BODY FOR LIFE": Yes, good morning.

PHILLIPS: Good morning. All right, so I want to know your opinion on these turkey burgers as Julie starts to fire these up. What's your take on turkey burgers? Is that a recipe in your book?

B. PHILLIPS: You know, it is actually. And I think that it's really important that people learn to eat foods that they're comfortable with and familiar with, like hamburgers, and do so in a healthier manner.

K. PHILLIPS: All right. We're going to talk about side items, too. So you pop in, Bill, if you have some advice or want to add something to what Julie's doing, OK.

B. PHILLIPS: Will do.

GRIMES: I agree with Bill, stick with foods you're comfortable with. You know, I think we hit the highlights on the burgers. Mostly it's to do with mixing the burgers. It's four minutes on either side of the grill, and so that's pretty much of a no-brainer. Like any other burger you've done before.

Think about every step in the process. You can hike up those calories by putting mayonnaise or ketchup on your burger. So, what we've done today is sauteed peppers and onions, just like you would find on that Italian meatball sub, and its got a little pasta sauce in there, and you stir it all together. That's what you use as a condiment on your whole wheat buns. I think toasting the bread is also always a great idea. So maybe two minutes on the grill with the toasted bread.

K. PHILLIPS: Bill, now I remember in your book, you talk about there are healthy fats, right?

B. PHILLIPS: Absolutely. Fat is not as bad as most people think it is. And a certain amount of fat is actually important to be healthy. But those are not saturated fats. They're unsaturated fats and they're usually found in oils, and avocados and flaxseed oil.

K. PHILLIPS: All right, we're going to talk about pizza now. What's your next recipe, Julie?

GRIMES: We've got corn and smoked mozzarella pizza, which is a fabulous recipe from our July issue of "Cooking Light" magazine. If you read through the recipe, you'll see that we give you directions for making a pizza dough from scratch. It's very simple to do. But now if you're not much of a baker, or you just don't happen to have the time, run to the grocery store, buy one of those Pillsbury crust. That is perfectly fine.

And what I want to do is just...

K. PHILLIPS: What about the -- what is it, Bobolo (sic) it starts with a B. What is that?

GRIMES: Boboli?

K. PHILLIPS: I used to eat that in college -- right. Is that okay?

GRIMES: Sure it is. You know we use that quite a bit in the magazine. Yes.

K. PHILLIPS: Nice and thick and, you know...

GRIMES: And its already cooked. Yes, so the only thing about that -- the point I would give about that is that it's already cooked. So all you want to do is toast that bread just a little bit if you use -- go with the Boboli crust, so...

K. PHILLIPS: All right, now while Julie is making this pizza, Bill, is there any type of exercises that go well on -- while you're cooking?

B. PHILLIPS: Well, you know what? I don't think it's the best time to be exercising. The way I teach exercise takes all the concentration that you've got. So, the best exercise, I guess, is paying attention to what you're doing, making sure you're using good, healthy foods. And then for your real workouts, save it for the gym.

K. PHILLIPS: Oh gosh, OK, I was kind of hoping I could do both at the same time. All right continue to tell us about what you're doing here.

GRIMES: Well, it's sort of one fuels the other, right, Bill? You want to eat so that you can make it through that long workout. OK, I brushed the crust with an infused olive oil mixture, which is really fabulous. You just pop that in the microwave for about 30 seconds with some crushed red pepper. Of course, heat is always an optional ingredient. So omit that if you don't like spicy foods.

And then I just want to start to build flavors on this pizza. We've got smoked mozzarella cheese, which is going to go very nicely with all of the yummy smoky-flavor that you're going to get off of the grill. And that...

K. PHILLIPS: I don't mean to interrupt you. Keep doing what you're going to do but, Bill, OK -- while Julie pops this on the grill. I know also in your book, you talk about -- it's a myth. You can't always -- even if you're exercising a lot, you can't eat everything you want, right? It's not a good excuse to experiment with...

B. PHILLIPS: Well, you know, the combination between nutrition and exercise is a very sensitive one, and there's a double-edged sword there. You have to eat enough, but you can recover from the exercise and you can continue to build a healthy body, but you want to -- you don't want to eat too much, so that the exercise, even if it is working, doesn't burn the fat off. So, it's a fine line. But once you learn how to do it, you always know.

K. PHILLIPS: That's true. All right, Julie. How long do we cook it for?

GRIMES: Good Advice. Well, I tell you what. We toasted this just very briefly before we started this segment today. And you want to go for about three minutes on either side.

We have a raging fire on the grill out here today. What I would recommend at home is about medium low heat and it will stay on there for about four minutes. You'll be able to see that bread toasting nicely, and you'll watch that cheese get bubbly and your onions will cook just slightly, but still have a little bite to them.

Again, we've got fresh corn. I don't think I mentioned that. It was on the grill before we cut it from the cob. So that's going to heighten the sweetness some and just give you a really yummy dish here with this pizza.

So, by comparison, a normal pizza, this one has 14 grams of fat per serving. Each person is going to get half of that pizza. So, I think that's a really generous serving.

And a good way that we cut our fat and calories is, we didn't use lots of oil on the vegetables. We've got fresh veggies on there. We were able to use as much cheese as we could, so that that's where we're getting lots of our flavor. We don't have a high fat sauce and just two tablespoons of oil in total in the whole pizza.

K. PHILLIPS: That is smoking.

GRIMES: Yes. K. PHILLIPS: We're going to need the fire alarm to go off in about two seconds here.

Sorry. Even the photographer...

B. PHILLIPS: Looks like Colorado.

K. PHILLIPS: Yes. Bill says it looks like Colorado.

Hey, what about side items? You know, Fourth of July is a good time for mashed potatoes, and cole slaw and beans and -- total bloating, you know?

GRIMES: Well, it doesn't have to be that exactly. Look over here on our table. I've brought a few great ideas for side items. You see the pizza, that looks great. And our burgers there. And I think round it out with salads. The key to entertaining, and especially for casual entertaining in the summertime, make it easy on yourself. So do things that can be done ahead of time.

Potato salad, we've got an entire story for different variations on potato salad. This is potato salad 101. It reminds me of the kind my grandmother use to make. Just a little lower in fat and calories so it's healthy. And then, we've got a great fruit salad that I think is really interesting, also. We're using watermelon and mango, which is an interesting combination of fruits.

Use whatever your favorite melon is and -- we've got it tossed with a citrus syrup and some fresh mint.

And then believe it or not. Those brownies right there, low fat.

K. PHILLIPS: We like those words: low fat. All right now, that potato salad, I got to tell you, my grandmother made this German potato salad. My brother and I still have nightmares from that because we were up for days. I hope he's watching because he'll crack up when I say that.

This is a pretty fattening dish, though. How did you make this healthy?

GRIMES: Well, traditionally it can be, and the way that it becomes high in fat and calories, mayonnaise, is probably your prime offender.

Potatoes are a great source of carbohydrates. And so what we have done is mixed it with a little low fat mayonnaise. And then in order to pump up the flavor, and this is really a technique that we use on everything that we do at "Cooking Lite" magazine, just extra on the flavors.

We've got red onions, and celery and pickle relish, if you can believe that, to give a nice dill flavor. So you just really want to hit hard with bold flavors when you don't have fat to carry the flavor, which I think is what a lot of people rely on.

K. PHILLIPS: Julie, thank you so much. I think our crew is going to start to eat now. Thank you so much, OK.

And, Bill, I'm going to ask you to hold tight because we're going to take calls and e-mails, and also we're going to make your recipes available online if folks want it, OK. All right, Bill, are you sticking around?

B. PHILLIPS: I'll be here.

K. PHILLIPS: All right, we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

K. PHILLIPS: OK, let's say you overdo it just a bit at your barbecue. Can you reverse the damage? Well, to answer all of your health and nutrition questions, we were going to go to "Body for Life" author Bill Phillips. Bring him back in.

And "Cooking Light" magazine, assistant food editor, Julie Grimes. Hi to you guys, again. Thanks for being here and hanging on with us.

B. PHILLIPS: My pleasure.

K. PHILLIPS: And remember, you can still call in your questions at 404-221-1855. We're going to get right to a phone call. Andrea (ph) on the line from Florida. Andrea, what's your question?

CALLER: Like I was saying, I'm following your plan right now. And my question is, I don't have a -- I have three children and I can't seem to make it to the gym every day. So until I can build up the equipment at home where I can do the arms with the free weights at home, I've been trying to combine, like, my cardio with 20 minutes and then my legs, say, in one day. And I want to know, is that a really bad thing to do or can I continue that until I work up to the -- what I need?

K. PHILLIPS: Go ahead, Bill.

B. PHILLIPS: You know, I think that any type of exercise is better than no exercise at all. And there's nothing about doing these basic exercises at home that's bad. So let's stop using that word and let's start thinking about how many positive steps you're taking already in the right direction.

And I think that the most important thing that I have discovered over the last couple of years with home exercise is that you need only a very basic amount of exercise equipment. A simple set of dumbbells and an exercise bench, and then the knowledge and you'll be there.

K. PHILLIPS: All right, e-mail No.2: How do I overcome the cravings for sweet and salty snacks? Francis (ph) wants to know out of Virginia.

Julie, can you tackle that one?

GRIMES: Well, again, like Bill said, I'm not sure that the cravings for sweet and salty snacks is necessarily a bad thing. It's just about using moderation. Our motto at "Cooking Light" is moderation. So, we don't necessarily think that snacks like pretzels, or fruit, that would be a sweet snack, are bad things. So, it's about choices and moderation, is my answer to that question.

K. PHILLIPS: What do you think, Bill?

B. PHILLIPS: I think that your taste evolves and over time, when you start eating a cleaner diet, like Julie teaches people how to do, you start craving less sugar, less salt, less carbohydrates. And as your body becomes more healthy, the healthy foods taste better to you.

K. PHILLIPS: Bill, growing up, my mom never let me have sugar cereal. We didn't have any of those kind of sweet snacks in the house. She would do the peanut butter on celery and the fruit rolls. Remember all that stuff? So I never really developed a craving for sweets. Am I -- Is that a myth or am I right?

B. PHILLIPS: Well, Kyra, that's what my mom did, too. And I never really craved sweets when I was growing up either, because I wasn't used to them. You crave foods that you're used to. And a lot of that is just habits. So you transform your habits; you can transform your appetite.

K. PHILLIPS: All right. Jason on the phone from Texas. What's your question, Jason?

JASON: Hi, Bill, I read your book. I really enjoyed. It's been helpful in the motivation. I was very successful with my program. I lost about 20 pounds, and I tore a stomach muscle lifting weights. And that was several months ago. And I wanted to know, how can I get back in my program after that heals up?

B. PHILLIPS: Well, congratulations on your success, first of all. And second, I would say that if you've done it once, you can do it again. And as soon as your doctor gives you the OK, I'd simply go back to what worked for you the last time.

K. PHILLIPS: All right. An e-mail question from Florida. "What is healthier, a piece of fried fish or a piece of grilled, lean red meat?" Julie.

GRIMES: Absolutely, it's grilled, lean red meat. You know, we grill flank steak often at "Cooking Light" and endorse that, and think that's part of a healthy diet.

Really, at all costs, stay away from fried foods, and grilling is a natural fit with low fat cooking. So whether you're talking about salmon, chicken or flank steak, I would go with the grilling option. And just exercise, also, your ability to use less fat when you grill. Other cooking techniques can sometimes require that you add additional fat, but the grill is tailor-made for low-fat cooking.

K. PHILLIPS: All right. Angie from New York on the line. Bill, why don't you take this call? What's your question, Angie?

ANGIE: Hi, I'm vegetarian and underweight. I do have a fast metabolic rate. What solution do you have for weight gain?

B. PHILLIPS: Well, solution for weight gain is always a proper combination of exercise and nutrition. And vegetarians can follow a good, sound program that's high in protein and healthy, as well as non-vegetarians.

K. PHILLIPS: OK. Another e-mail here. Let's go to e-mail -- how about number four? "Bill, when I flex my arms, chest, et cetera, everything looks great. However, when I'm in a relaxed position, my body doesn't seem to have the definition look. How can I wake up my muscles and obtain the ripped look while in a non-flexed state?"

B. PHILLIPS: I think you should stay flexed all the time. Just stay flexed all the time. No, I think that as you continue with your exercise programs, the muscles stay tighter and firmer as they become more toned. And obviously, the muscles aren't always looking solid. They're going to be relaxed. When you flex them, they're going to stay firm.

K. PHILLIPS: Bill, can we see that one more time?

B. PHILLIPS: Sure.

K. PHILLIPS: There you go. That's for Dee (ph), our director, Bill.

B. PHILLIPS: It's soft here and then it's firm here. So that's the way they work.

K. PHILLIPS: You're such an inspiration. Julie, oh Julie, you don't have a monitor down there, do you?

GRIMES: No, I don't.

K. PHILLIPS: Oh, my goodness. All right.

B. PHILLIPS: I just took my pants off.

(LAUGHTER)

K. PHILLIPS: On that note, let's talk about -- who. We're going to go to another phone call. How about Jack from Connecticut? (UNINTELLIGIBLE), Jack, you have a question?

JACK: Yeah. I'm just trying to figure out -- I am actually a mixture of the two people that have talked to Bill. I read your book and I'm just trying to figure out -- I'm in my '40s and it kind of goes along with the question you just had where I'm to the point, I seem to go to the gym two, three, maybe even four times a week, and I can't seem to get myself to the next level as far as my weight and the way I'd like to look compared to the guys that are in the gym along with me, you know, that look more like you.

And I just don't know how to get to the next level, because I'm working 60 hours a week, you know, sitting down on the job, or what it is. So I'm just trying to figure out how to combine the food and the workout.

B. PHILLIPS: Well, I think you'll succeed because you've already decided to succeed. And I can hear that in your voice. And I think that one of the things you need to remember is to compare your physique to your physique. Take a photo of yourself every month and measure your progress compared to yourself, not to other people at the gym.

And I think that also, intensity. You don't need a lot of time in the gym exercising. But think about that intensity, focus on the intensity and push yourself.

K. PHILLIPS: All right, Julie, I'm getting some e-mails coming across right now, and I'm going to throw this one to you. This comes from Valerie in South Carolina. "My 4-year-old will not eat vegetables. How can I get him to? Nothing I have tried has worked. Please help with a recipe."

GRIMES: With a recipe? Well, first of all, my advice is go visit our Web site, cookinglight.com/features. Not only do we have great menus for Fourth of July backyard cook-outs complete with recipes, but we have tons of other recipes.

You'll notice some that are going to be more kid-friendly than others, and just to take it back to a point that you made earlier -- I think that most children start off as a blank slate. And you build the palate with the things that they eat. So, as children learn to eat sugar and different things, that's going to be where their affinity lies.

So, start with vegetables that you know they'll like, and go from there. I know as far as my nieces are concerned, maybe green things are not the best thing to start. So carrots and different things like that that have a little bit of sweetness to them to start with, and go from there.

K. PHILLIPS: Isn't there a way to make it fun though, Julie? I mean, I remember my mom cutting little shapes out of, you know, cucumbers and carrots, and kind of making them fun. Looking like toys you can eat, I guess.

GRIMES: Sure. And you can do things like make fun little dips out of yogurt-based -- use yogurt and different flavorings. You probably want to stay mild on the flavoring side if you have got children eating the food, but absolutely. Have fun with it. Make it a game, and that always seems to entice children to eat their veggies.

K. PHILLIPS: All right. Ray from Atlanta, what's your question, Ray?

RAY: Hey, Bill, I was wanting to know how much cardio would you recommend for someone who wants to cut the fat but doesn't want to hinder their ability to add on muscle?

B. PHILLIPS: That's a great question. And there's a lot of people that believe aerobic exercise, for it to be effective, you have to do it an hour a day, seven days a week. And that's not the case at all.

What you want to do with aerobic exercise is stimulate the metabolism, and not annihilate your body. Twenty minutes of very intense aerobic exercise three days a week will do that, and it will allow you to build muscle without taking any longer than it needs to.

K. PHILLIPS: All right. "Body for Life" author Bill Phillips and "Cooking Light" magazine assistant food editor, Julie Grimes. Thanks so much, you guys. This is fun.

(CROSSTALK)

K. PHILLIPS: Yeah, I'm hungry and I, Bill, I'm going to have to take a look at your book. I need a lot of help this summer.

We appreciate it both, really. Lots of great e-mails and calls. Our thanks to the viewers. And can we do this again, you guys?

GRIMES: Absolutely.

B. PHILLIPS: It's a pleasure.

K. PHILLIPS: All right. All right.

GRIMES: Thank you.

K. PHILLIPS: Have a great weekend. Happy Fourth of July.

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