Summer without a barbecue? That would easily fall under the definition of “a cruel and unusual punishment,” which of course no human being should go through.

But the burgers, ribs and fixings that taste so delicious when cooked outdoors can send a diet up in flames.

Do not believe me? Consider the following:

In fact, a typical meal – think four barbecued pork ribs, a square of corn bread, ¼ cup of cole slaw, half a cob of buttered corn, a slice of watermelon and a 16-ounce beer – contains roughly 1,000 calories and 50 grams of fat. And that’s without seconds.

And that is where Bobby Flay’s Grill It! comes in. The grill can actually be a great place to lighten up a meal, says Bobby Flay. Contrary to popular belief, “very little oil is needed to barbecue,” says Flay, author of the new cookbook Grill It!

“And most of the fat from what you are cooking drips through the grates of the barbecue,” says Bobby. Food Network nutritionist Shirley Fan agrees. “There are tasty and healthy alternatives when barbecuing,” she says. [via]