Most of us, especially in America, tend to add barbeque sauces and such to our grilled foods until they become as bad for us as purchased, prepared foods. There are preservatives added to some of the meats we love to cook on our grills. Knowing all this doesn't mean every grilled meal has to be bad for us.

What we need to do is to learn to make our own low calorie sauces and rubs in order to still enjoy the grilled foods without getting the unwanted calories. We will probably all be surprised and excited about the wonderful, natural taste of the foods cooked on our open flame grills.

The things we decide to grill are just as important to our diet and well being as what we decide to put on them when we grill. Some of the most used foods for lower fat grilling are things like chicken breast without the skin, lean turkey and veggie burgers. Good grilling veggies are summer squash, carrots, peppers and zucchini. Some of the other healthy things to grill are popular sea foods like shrimp, scallops, sea bass, halibut, salmon and tuna. Notice how many of these things are popular foods that we all like already and grilling them is another way to enjoy them without adding a lot of fat to make them unhealthy for us to eat.

We need to learn to make our own sauces and marinades so we don't get the sugars and preservatives in the packaged marinades. One of the best ways to make them is to use olive oil with our favorite dried spices and herbs. Instead of soaking the foods in these, it is better to lightly brush them on close to the end of cooking. Even though olive oil is better for us it still has a high calorie count.

Some people like a bolder flavor. If this is you, then consider using low calorie rubs instead of the sauces. You can also experiment with things like sesame seeds, flax seeds, coconut, ground nuts and even chili peppers. Some rubs suggest adding sugar because it makes a light crusty covering, but if you are counting calories it is best to just leave it off. Just brush lightly with olive oil, add the rub and grill.

Not all of us would think of grilling our dessert, but if we are watching the calories, we should consider grilling our fruits for dessert. Grilling fruit causes the natural sugar in them to caramelize and the taste is even better. The fruit can be whole or any size just as long as it will stay on the grill. Brush on a little olive oil and grill. Some fruits that are really good grilled are pineapple, peaches, plums and nectarines. To give yourself and the rest of the family a treat, just add a scoop of low fat yogurt or ice cream to the fruit.

One of the things that make it fun to grill is the actual grill we are using. Some of us have large grills and others, cook for one, grills. I really like the Weber Baby Q Portable Gas Grill. It can be closed up. Put in the trunk of your vehicle and used wherever you want with not much trouble.