Living in a summer vacation mecca, you know that summer is here when Memorial Day rolls around and the grocery store is sold out of all the specials on the first day they come out!
Not only do the tourists come out, but so does everyone’s barbeque grill (and sometimes the bears, but that is a story for another day!).
You hear a lot of negativity around grilling these days, the fat and amino acids drilling off meat causes the formation of HAs (Not actually something funny, it stands for Heterocyclic amines, a carcinogenic). The formation is increases as the temperature gets higher, and the longer the meat is cooked.
The American Cancer Society even tells us that a study out of the University of Minnesota found that regular eating of well-done, charred meats can increase pancreatic cancer risk by as much as 60%!
But there are several ways that you can still use your grill and minimize your risk.
1. Grill as many fruits and vegetables as you want, they do not create the same toxic chemicals as meat.
2. Grill more lean meats like fish and chicken.
3. Marinating your meats prior to grilling can reduce the risk of carcinogens as much as 88%.
4. Protect the meat by lining your grill with foil and poking a few small holes in it.
5. Don’t forget to clean the grill thoroughly with a wire brush before each use to remove the built up burned bits that collect there, it will make your food safer AND it will taste better too!
6. Making kebabs with several different vegetables and cubes of chicken or lean meat is a great use of the grill – there is a smaller amount of meat so the cooking time will be less, AND you will be adding more healthy servings of vegetables to your meal!
7. Use spices that combat the effects of HAs: rosemary, sage, thyme, and garlic are some that seem to be effective.
Enjoy grilling this summer, and consider revving up the nutritional value of your meal by replacing high calorie side dishes like the traditional potato salad with a healthier alternative.
Try mixing diced avocado, tomato, cucumber, red onion, black beans, corn, cilantro, and jalapeno with a freshly squeezed lime or two and a drizzle of olive oil. Make it even more interesting by grilling the corn first, then cutting off the cob and into the salad.
Image by Murcotipton, used under the Creative Commons Share-Alike 3.0 Unported License.
