Recently my dad wrote a comment on my blog asking if having a hot dog with the bun on Memorial Day weekend would send him soaring into a larger pants size come Tuesday morning. Very amusing. The answer: probably not, but if you're combining that with my mom's potato salad, some coleslaw, and a case of Corona (Dad, does this sound a bit more like what your asking?) you may find yourself in a bit of a pickle.

Coming from a family who spends most warm-weather weekends down at the beach, we tend to BBQ a lot. But the problem for me is many of my favorite summertime foods contain a lot of hidden calories. So I decided to get some insight from one of our experts. Here is Registered Dietitian, Sari Greaves' meal plan to slash the calories at your Memorial Day bash. Check it out ...

My dad's favorite for a BBQ!

Typical Barbecue Meal:

Cheeseburger, 3 oz.: 315 calories, 15 grams of fat
½ cup Potato Salad: 180 calories, 10 grams of fat
½ cup Coleslaw: 120 calories, 12 grams of fat
Potato chips, 16: 150 calories, 10 grams of fat
Hot Dog on a Roll: 310 calories, 28 grams of fat
2 beers, 24 oz.: 300 calories, 0 grams of fat
Apple Pie, 1 slice: 300 calories, 12 grams of fat
TOTAL: 1675 calories, 77 grams of fat

Healthy Memorial Day Meal Makeover:

Fresh vegetable salad, 3 cups: 30 calories, 0 grams of fat
Light dressing, 2 Tbsp: 50 calories, 2 grams of fat
Chicken kebab, 3 oz.: 110 calories, 3 grams of fat
Hummus, 2 Tbsp: 50 calories, 2 grams of fat
Mini whole wheat pita: 65 calories, 0 grams of fat
Lite beer, 12 oz.: 100 calories, 0 grams of fat
Seltzer with lime: 0 calories, 0 grams of fat
Fruit salad, 1 cup: 120 calories, 1 gram of fat
TOTAL:  525 calories, 17 grams of fat

Calories Saved: 1150
Fat grams Saved: 60

Hopefully these tips will help you battle the BBQ bulge! For more of Sari's advice check out The 10 Pound Takedown. And for more great nutrition tips and tricks check out iMag's Food Section. Happy Memorial Day!

Sari Greaves works as a Registered Dietitian at Step Ahead Weight Loss Center in Central New Jersey where she provides nutrition counseling to a wide variety of patients seeking weight loss and healthy lifestyle modification. Prior to working at Step Ahead, Greaves worked at New York Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell (NYPH-Cornell) in New York City. She is also a national spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. Greaves graduated magna cum laude from the University of Delaware and completed her post-graduate dietetic internship program at NYPH-Cornell.