Plan the table before lighting the grill
Alongside burgers or sausages, put out something that makes a complete plate: grilled vegetables, corn, a bean salad, potatoes or bread. There is no need to replace every favourite. A host can offer choices without announcing which guest ought to eat what.
A simple shopping plan
- Choose the main food first. Buy for the people coming rather than for an imaginary eating competition.
- Add two sides that you will enjoy eating: peppers and courgettes, a tomato salad, or canned beans with a dressing are options.
- Keep sauces available separately so people choose their own amounts.
- Put drinking water and alcohol-free options where they are easy to reach. Nobody needs to explain why they are having one.
Do not confuse charred with cooked
Keep raw meat separate from cooked food and use different utensils. Follow Food Standards Agency barbecue guidance: check the centre as well as the outside, and do not partly cook meat for finishing much later. Keep chilled food chilled until needed. Put salads and cooked food away from the plate that held raw meat.
Enjoy the meal and carry on
Pick the foods you came for and eat a plate you enjoy. If you have more than planned, the next meal can be an ordinary meal. There is no need for a punishment workout or a day without food. For next time, notice the practical problem: perhaps you arrived hungry, the only sides were crisps or drinks kept getting topped up. Change that detail rather than declaring the whole summer ruined.