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  • Can Grilling Your Food Be A Healthy Choice?

Can Grilling Your Food Be A Healthy Choice?

February 12, 2015

The science of cooking and of eating can be complicated. At the most basic level, that smoky flavour and the char flavour from a perfectly grilled steak may not be the best choice of cooking of meat for you but don’t let all the articles you read about carcinogenic from gilled meat scare you off. Scientific research that has yet to determine in what quantities the chemicals from cooking meat over smoking coals and flames actually become carcinogenic so as with most things, eating in moderation is key but you don’t have to give up what you love.

In North America we eat very high-fat meats and sausages, especially during the warmer weather which causes our caloric intake to go up as well as fats, saturated fats and cholesterol.

There is much debate about potentially cancer-causing compounds known as PAH polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heterocyclic amines (HCAs). PAHs form when fat from the meat drips onto the hot coals or grill element. Once that happens they are then deposited on the food caused by flame-ups and rising smoke.That yummy charring which forms on meat can contain PAHs . HCAs, meanwhile, are produced when red meat, poultry and fish meet high-heat cooking, like grilling or broiling.

Will You Marinate Me?

A good way to cut down on the bad stuff you create by charring meat is to marinate it. Marinating meat in a teriyaki marinade or Indian garlic-tumeric marinade as little as an hour before cooking can interact with the chemicals that are created through charring and add moisture preventing much of the charring from making it to the surface.

Infusing flavour into meats, fruits, and vegetables through marinades is a great way to use less fatty cuts of meat. Choose or make marinades that include wines, lemon or lime juice, vinegars, low-sodium soy sauce, honey, garlic, onions, herbs, and spices. Olive or canola oil are good choices for grill marinades.

Grill your meat, fish and poultry with fat-free or low-fat marinades A simple marinade can reduce the formation of HCAs by as much as 92% to 99% in some studies. A not of caution, basting your foods during grilling with the same marinade the meat was resting in is a no no. Raw meat juices get passed along to the marinade. Instead, before you add your meat to the marinade, set some aside in a separate dish that you will use during grilling. While meats and poultry benefit from a minimum-1-2 hour marinade, vegetables only require an hour.

Scientists have also claimed that adding rosemary to your meat prior toggling it can cut down on the HCA. (Antioxidants in the rosemary, similar to those found in garlic, onion, tart cherries and honey block the nasty chemicals for forming. So add those Marinades and rosemary to help prevent charring and make the surface of the meat less stick so those harmful things stick less to the meat

Go Fishing

Keep that grill out and explore new ways to create culinary masterpieces. Choose to grill fish more often. Choose fish that are high in hearty healthy omega 3 fatty acids such as salmon, trout or herring.

Skinless chicken is also a good choice of meat to put on the grill. Opt for skinless chicken breasts, staying away of the fattier dark meat of the legs and thighs or choose to make chicken or turkey burgers from the breast meat and add diced onions for additional flavour.

When you’re deciding on cuts of meats, keeping mind that loin and round cuts of red meat and pork are your best option. Buy choice or select grades of beef instead of prime and trim the fat before you grill or after the meat is grilled so you don’t consume it. Another good way to avoid those fats is to use a grill rack so that the fat drips away from the meat.

Eat Your Veggies

In vegetables, colour means healthier. Green leafy salads and fruit salads tossed with toasted walnuts are an optimum choice for healthy choice because they are mot mayonnaise based salads. Go with the seasons pickings for inspiration, baby spinach with strawberries, romaine with orange slices. The possibilities are endless and the colour on the plate make s the meal much more appealing.

Grill vegetable kabobs for a healthy side choice at your next bbq instead of serving potato chips. or serve veggies raw with your meats to counter the calories and fat intake. Cucumber, celery and carrot sticks or cauliflower, broccoli floret and cherry tomatoes served with a low fat dip compliment your gorgeous grilled steak.

You can also grill fresh fruit. The natural sugars in pineapple slices, plums, nectarines and peaches add an abundance of flavour and vitamins, minerals and fibre. An added bonus? They are low in calories!

Some fruits and vegetables that are great to grill:

  • Pineapple
  • Mango
  • Apple
  • Pear
  • Tomatoes
  • Onions
  • Bell peppers
  • Zucchini
  • Eggplant
  • Endive

Spend Some Time With Me

Both HCA and PAH don’t only start to show up when you’re cooking meat on the grill. Frying meat creates the chemicals, too. It’s the high-heat – once the heat hits reaches 300 degrees, HCA forms the longer the meat is exposed to that heat regardless of how you’re cooking it.

Because of that, methods like boiling, baking, and slow-cooking are relatively carcinogen-free, compared to grilling and frying. However, (eep in mind that these compounds are just one factor in how we cook and what we cook and eat that impacts our overall health. For instance, a ham that is baked slowly still contains alot of fat and salt and is not necessarily better for you than a griled chicken breast so you have to consider all aspects of the meal you are choosing. A good trick for grilling is time. Choose to grill smaller portions of meat, fish and poultry. They cook faster and require less time on the grill.

Flipping your food frequently can help prevent the formation of HCAs in such foods a hamburger patties. Flip the burgers without piercing the meat. Piercing the meat allows juices to drip on the coals which in turn causes smoke flare ups and those HCAs we want to reduce. Use the right tool to accomplish, tongs are gentle, forks will pierce the meat.

Make no mistake, your grill is your friend when it comes to healthy eating. All you need to do is to make the right choices. Grilling food is always a better choice than fried food because grilled food does not typically have batters or coatings and are not dripping in grease.

And let’s not forget the grilled food looks and tastes amazing. The smoke flavour, the many flavours of the marinades, the grill lines on the good, cooking outdoors, nothing is more satisfying so grill away!