How to Eat Well at a Braai Without Being That Person

Healthy eating at a braai is less about the meat than most people assume. Braai meat is largely protein and fat, and protein is the most filling thing on the table. What usually does the damage is everything around it.

The meat is rarely the problem

A reasonable portion of steak, chicken or chops is a solid protein serving that will keep you full for hours. Boerewors is fattier and worth being aware of, but a normal serving still fits comfortably in most days. The calorie load builds up in the sides, the sauces, the bread and above all the drinks.

Drinks are the quiet cost

Alcohol carries seven calories per gram, sits alongside the food rather than replacing it, and reliably loosens decision making about the rest of the table. Four or five beers across an afternoon can quietly match an entire meal in calories without touching hunger at all. Alternating with water or a zero alcohol option is the single highest value adjustment available.

A plate that works

None of this requires announcing a diet to anyone.

• Fill half the plate with salad or grilled vegetables before adding meat
• Take a normal portion of meat and skip the second helping of pap or bread
• Go easy on creamy sides and sauces, which carry more than they look like
• Alternate alcoholic drinks with water
• Eat normally earlier in the day rather than saving up calories, which backfires

Frequently asked questions

• Will one braai ruin a week of dieting? No. A single large meal rarely reverses a week of consistent deficit. A weekly pattern of them might.
• Should I train harder the next day to compensate? Not really. Just return to your normal eating rather than trying to punish yourself into balance.
• Is boerewors off limits? No. It is fattier than other cuts, so treat it as part of the portion rather than an extra on top.