Happy Memorial Day! Since today is the unofficial kick-off of summer, that means it’s officially grilling season.
While your coals are getting hot, here are some healthy grilling tips to make your outdoor cooking nutritious and fun.
Prep the grill
Before deciding what to put on your grill, take a good look at the grill you’re putting it on. Always check to be sure the cooking surface is clean and rid of charred food to minimize your exposure to bacteria and potential carcinogens.
Charred food can contain possible cancer-causing compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heterocyclic amines (HCAs). The former form when dripping fat from meat makes contact with the heat source, causing flare-ups or smoke. HCAs also can form when grilling meats or fish, and from charring.
What you grill matters
You can improve your odds by carefully choosing not only what you grill, but how you prepare it.
Karah Stanley, a dietitian with St. Elizabeth Physicians, is an advocate of grilling vegetables and fruits. Vegetables don’t retain PAHs or HCAs the way meat, poultry or fish do, and offer nutritional bonuses to boot.
Vegetable kabobs can combine any of your favorite veggies ““ zucchini, green peppers and onions are popular choices and hold their shape well ““ and also offer a fun way to get your pickiest eaters to buy in, Stanley said.
“Kids love food on a stick,” she said. “Let’s be honest: Adults love food on a stick.”
Make the right meat choices
Don’t want to skip the meat? You can have your burger and eat it, too, and still take some simple steps to make your selection safer and healthier.
Choose very lean ground beef, turkey or chicken, and pass on the fattier varieties. Hot dogs are best only once in a while, and then, make sure to look for all-beef varieties. “The fewer the ingredients, the better,” Stanley said.
Using a marinade will enhance the flavor of your meat and fish, and will also keep the cut moist.
“If you keep it from drying out, you can really cut back on the charring,” Stanley said.
When choosing a bottled marinade, look for low-fat options, or you can make your own with household items like lemon or lime juice, white wine or vinegar.
Skip the high-calorie sides
Choose side dishes carefully, Stanley advised. Potato salad can be high in saturated fat, and baked beans can be high in sugar. Stanley likes simple, portion-controlled “potato packs” — even potato slices in foil, mixed with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.
Try capping your cookout with grilled fruit. Pineapple, peach and mango are good options.
“Fruits are really fun and simple to grill, and something people don’t think to do too often,” Stanley said. “The fruit caramelizes, and you get a really different taste but a good, healthy dessert.”
