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BBQ without added flavors: simple and delicious!

Grilled ribeye steak, fresh herbs and assorted peppercorns

Major points:

  • With these barbecue tips, you are perfectly prepared for the next barbecue.
  • Be cautious with seasoned or processed food (e.g. meat, fish, or seasoned baguette) and sugar-sweetened or artificially sweetened beverages as they contain at least one taste seducer.
  • Avoid foods that obviously don’t fit in Neatic and choose the best possible option!

The days are getting longer and the evenings warmer. As soon as your neighbors fire up the barbecue for the first time in the season, you may start to wonder: Is a barbecue possible without taste seducers?

Where can flavors hide?

Flavors are the main problem when barbecuing. Sweeteners and sugar come second, especially when it comes to the choice of drinks. 

First of all, it is important to clarify which foods contain flavors. Basically, any food that occurs in its natural form is free from added flavors. This includes meat and fish without marinade, various types of bread and baguettes, vegetables, and fruit. Caution should be exercised with any food that has been seasoned or processed in any way. This includes meat, fish, and vegetables with marinade, herb baguettes, ready-bought salads, barbecue sauces, and dips, but also individual ingredients in dishes such as the ready-made salad dressing in a fresh salad. 

We have a few tips and barbecue recipes for you to have your next barbecue without any flavor worries.

Tray with cocktails carried by a waitress
On green meadow filled picnic basket, grill with corn on the cob, cheese selection, baguette, melon, ice cream, fruit, plus coffee and limonade

Invite people over

Whoever invites can also decide what’s on the table and make sure that all barbecue ingredients are free from added flavors.

Be kind and bring something along

Not sure if the food at the barbecue contains taste seducers? 

Then surprise the other guests with new recipes, for example, a salad, a delicious dessert, or a meat marinade. This way, you can be sure that at least some of the dishes do not contain flavors. 

You can also offer to take care of the beverages and ensure that some will be without sugar and sweeteners.

Invitation to barbecue. Young couple enters house entrance with brought salad and bottle of wine
Guest is greeted by laughing couple
Woman in blue dress holding a berry cake

Create new habits

Most people have so-called “barbecue habits” and some of these habits might not be well compatible with the three Neatic principles. 

Imagine that you’ve always had sugar-sweetened beverages with your barbecue. When you think of barbecues, a glass of this delicious sweet liquid treat immediately comes to mind. Changing this habit will take some effort, but it’s not impossible! For example, you can try homemade iced tea. Or if your favorite barbecue sauces all contain added flavors, we recommend the spicy bell pepper dip or the tomato butter from the Neatic recipes, which go great with meat and vegetables.

The more you repeat your new habits, the quicker you will forget your old ones. And with the new barbecue recipes, you won’t even notice that anything is missing.

Barbecue recipes: beef steak with grilled potato wedges, grilled vegetables, dips and spices presented on a wooden board

But how to enjoy a barbecue if all of the above is not possible? 

You only have full control over the components of a barbecue that you prepare yourself.

If you are at a barbecue where all the food has been prepared by others and you cannot be sure about taste seducers, we have a tip for you that always applies when life gets in the way, i.e., any situation where you can’t follow the Neatic principles for sure.

Symbol for megaphone

Avoid foods that obviously don’t suit Neatic and choose the best possible option!

Here are a few examples for you:

  • Prefer salads with a vinegar and oil dressing.
  • Choose water as a drink, if you need some flavor, ask for a slice of lemon.
  • Enjoy the taste of the grilled food without covering it with sauces or dips.
  • Choose boiled potatoes, pasta, rice, or baguette as a side dish.

To support you, we have developed recipes that are suitable for barbecues and more. Feel free to check them out.