Healthy Grilling Tips

June 10, 2009 by Monica
Filed under Family Food

As summer is coming in the northern part of the world, families start looking for ways of escaping from the warm kitchen to the backyard or park. Grilling is a great option for outdoors cooking, and it’s in fact healthier than you would think. This is not dependent on the type of grill you have it is the procedure. Below you’ll find some healthy grilling tips.

Start with meat
If you’re preparing chicken, start by cutting off the excess fat. If you’re buying at the supermarket, usually all traces of fat have been removed in the store before packaging.

Outer fat on the steaks should be cut away but it’s fine to have the marbled effect within the meat. The same for pork. A butcher can guide you to the right cuts of meat for grilling if you ask them.

A good reason to remove the fat is that it eliminates the cancer causing char and smoke. Fat falling in the fire can initiate flare-ups that will burn the meat and char it in places. If this does occur, remove the charred part.

Proceed with your vegetables
You are cooking the meat on there, why not the rest of the meal? Spray a piece of aluminum foil with non-stick cooking spray and then wrap your sliced vegetables in it. The heat from the grill will create convection current inside the foil. Make sure that you tent the foil so that the air can move among the vegetables. If you’re not an aluminum foil fan (like me) you could try holding your vegetables over the grill directly or with sticks until they’re ready to eat. Another option when you have smal pieces is to place a skillet over the grill and place the vegetables on it.

Fish is a healthy alternative to other meats
Fattier fish like salmon are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Fish is tasty and tender when cooked on the grill. Fillets of fish crumble up easy so put them in foil just like the vegetables to keep them together during grilling. Fish steaks are better for direct grill cooking than fillets. They are thick but will cook quicker than other meats so don’t turn your back on them.

Experiment with seasonings other than salt
The process sears the outside and the seasonings that you have applied. Combined with the succulent juices that will once the meat is cut, these seasonings will add flavor to your meal.

To grill healthy doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice flavor or your favorite meats. The fat that is in the meat will all drip away as it cooks leaving you with a tender and heart-friendly main course.

photo credit: weanders