This weekend marks the unofficial start to summer and that means it's time for picnics (or, depending on where you live, you might call your outdoor gathering a barbecue or a cookout). I love the traditional foods of summer: burgers and dogs, creamy salads, yummy desserts.

Must-Try: EatingWell's Top 50 Healthy Summer Recipes

Unfortunately, these foods tend not to be the stuff that's going to win any nutrition awards. But you can partake at a picnic and still walk away with your shorts buttoned. It just means making the right choices--and no, you don't have to limit yourself to corn on the cob and watermelon.

Don't Miss: 7 Tricks for Staying Slim All Summer

Just skip (most of) the worst choices; the best ones are often just as satisfying. Here's your guide:

1. Main Dish to Skip: A cheeseburger. A quarter-pound beef burger with a slice of cheese will set you back 510 calories (26 gra

Due to the crowds, my family and I avoid the beaches, lakes and amusement parks on Memorial Day. Along with being crowded, it's often extremely hot. Furthermore, gas, parking and admission tickets can be expensive. Yet, since it's a three day weekend, it's important to have plenty of activities planned for the kids. Here are five, inexpensive Memorial Day activities for kids.

Patriotic Parade

Put on a parade for your neighborhood. You can post a flyer on your street and then round up the neighborhood children. Everyone can decorate their bikes in a patriotic theme. Try red, white, and blue streamers wound tightly around the wheels. Use curling ribbon and twine for handle bar streamers and little American flags on the bike baskets. Kids can also make a banner and flags. Your neighbors will appreciate your patriotism. If you don't want to partake in a parade, the children can still ride around the neighborhood displaying their bike decorations.

Pool Games

On hot days, we l

By Brian Underwood

It's summertime, and the livin' is pricey! So we've uncovered super-fun-and often free-ideas for movies, vacations, camp and much more to help your family have a blast on a budget. Click through to see our favorite picks. Photo credit: Getty

See movies for less.

A bit of planning can get you into the latest flicks (and an air-conditioned theater) without breaking the bank. Buy discounted tickets through your local credit union, AAA or warehouse clubs like Sam's Club and Costco. Go to BulkTix.com for four-packs of tickets from 16 national theater chains at up to 40% off. Also, many cinemas run summer promotions with deep discounts. For example, Cinemark's Summer Movie Clubhouse (Cinemark.com), Regal's Summer Movie Express (RegMovies.com) and Marquee Cinemas' Summer Series (MarqueeCinemas.com) offer tickets for as little as $1 for select showtimes. Photo credit: Shutterstock

Check out these surprising things you can get for free.

Hit

Ketchup. We love it. But do we really know it?

An estimated 97 percent of American households have a bottle in their fridges right now. Most people like Heinz' original recipe, which consists of tomatoes, vinegar, high fructose corn syrup, salt, spice, onion powder and some other "natural flavorings" the company isn't required to list. Heinz recently re-introduced its limited edition ketchup with balsamic vinegar in time for burger season for all you fancy types. But before Heinz, ketchup, or even catsup, there was katchop. The Chinese condiment, from which the burger topping originated, was nothing more than shellfish brine.

Taste test: the best ketchup isn't the one you think

A mixture of sea creatures, soaked for days in pickling vinegar and spices, was the basis for the french fry dip we know and love. When British explorers caught wind of it in Singapore in the 1700s, they brought it back to their own Western European kitchens. The result was the first ketc

Colombian celebrity chef Ingrid Hoffmann offers her twists on three traditional Latin American cocktails. Get some frosty glasses ready and toast to summer…¡salud!

Gigante Kiwi Mojitos

Gigante Kiwi Mojitos

"I like giving my own twist to Mojitos: the kiwi balances out the acidity of lime and the soda gives it at fizz and turns it into a "Delicioso" drink," says Hoffmann.

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 cup packed fresh mint leaves

2 kiwis, peeled and coarsely chopped

4 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup lime juice (from about 4 limes)

1/4 cup white rum

1 liter chilled club soda

Ice cubes

Sugarcane sticks, for serving (optional)

RECIPES: Chef Ingrid's Seven Day Menu

Instructions:

1. Divide the mint leaves, kiwis and sugar among 4 tall glasses. Using a pestle or the end of a wooden spoon, muddle the mint, kiwis and sugar together.

2. Add some ice and top off with the lime juice, white rum and club soda. Swirl with a sugar cane stick (if using) or a straw and serve.