Healthy Barbecue?

Barbecue can be good for you. No, that is not a misprint. Just ask Alice Ammerman, Ph.D., and Catherine Rohweder, Dr.P.H., who demonstrated the unlikely benefits of this Southern favorite by cooking healthy BBQ at a booth at the 44th Annual Lumbee Homecoming, July 7, in Pembroke, N.C.

While many of us savor juicy pork smothered in finger-licking sauces, we often regard this as “cheating” on our health. However, according to Ammerman, if we make the right choices, we really aren’t cheating. Pork is naturally low in sodium and a good source of protein. It is how we prepare it and what we put on it that can increase the sugar and salt content, which, in turn, increase the risk for high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.

“Look for sauces that have less than 6 grams of sugar and 300 mg of sodium per serving,” advises Ammerman. “Also, check labels regarding how the pork is processed. ‘Seasoned’ pork will have more sodium.”

Ammerman is director of the UNC Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention and principal investigator of the Community Connections Core of the UNC Center for Diabetes Translation Research to Reduce Health Disparities (CDTR). Rohweder also works on the CDTR Community Connections Core.

They participated in one day of the festivities of the weeklong Lumbee Homecoming event, attended by more than 30,000, at the invitation of CDTR community partner Tony Locklear. Locklear is director of The Healing Lodge, an organization that promotes wellness and runs projects to improve the health of American Indians and other underserved populations in Robeson County. CDTR also partners with UNC-Pembroke and Robeson County Health Department in efforts to facilitate diabetes research and, ultimately, improve treatment and interventions, in an area of high prevalence of diabetes and heart disease, which often go hand-in-hand.

In addition to demonstrations of a recipe for “Heart Healthy BBQ with Veggies & Rice,” Ammerman and Rohweder also provided information on low-calorie/low-sugar drink alternatives to complete the meal. They recommend mixing 2/3-cup seltzer with 1/3-cup of 100% fruit juice to create a refreshing fizzy companion to spicy BBQ.

Those who visited the booth had an opportunity to provide feedback on the recipes and qualify for a $50 gift card, while also receiving information about participating in clinical trials.

“The best part was watching people look skeptically at the colorful barbecue with vegetables in it, tentatively taste it, and then break out into a smile and say, ‘Dang, that’s good!’” recalled Rohweder.