Memorial Day Weekend, the official start to summer and grilling season. Who doesn’t love a good barbecue? Grilling foods are easy, flavorful, and healthy, right? Well, not always. Depending on what and how you grill, you may be consuming more fat and carcinogens than you think. But never fear. Regardless of whether you’re a fan of charcoal or gas grills, here are 5 tips for healthy grilling.
Choose wisely. Stick to lean proteins like fish, boneless chicken and pork and lean cuts of beef like flank steak or london broil. Unlike burgers, dogs and sausages, they’re low in saturated fat. And of course load up the grill with fresh veggies!
Tame the flame. Avoid fiery flare-ups caused by fats dripping from meats as they grill. Instead, quickly sear your proteins over high heat then move them to indirect heat for the remainder of the cooking time. This method optimizes grilled flavor while minimizing harmful chemicals that can form on foods from chemical filled smoke in the char-grilling process.
Marinate. Marinades add amazing flavor to foods, tenderize meats and also reduce the aforementioned potentially harmful chemicals.
Try alternatives. Make it a meatless meal with grilled veggie burgers made with protein packed quinoa or beans and paired with grilled veggies and fruit.
Grill dessert. Since fruit doesn’t contain fat like proteins do, it doesn’t produce the same chemicals as grilling meats. So go ahead and grill your watermelon, peaches and pineapples or cook up a cobbler in a cast iron skillet. Check out our Pinterest board for more grilled dessert ideas.
Planning a backyard bash this summer? Let us man the grill while you kick back and enjoy the party. Contact us now or call 215-919-9865 to book your date.