Healthy Grilling
Summer is already here and everyone tries to make the most of warm and sunny days. Some people prefer to celebrate these summer days bringing out their grill.
In fact, what can be better than a fresh steak or even, a grilled veggie burger? When you grill your meat, you add a lot of flavor to your meal and also, cut from calories.
However, grilling is not as healthy how seems to be at the first sight. Although grilled meat is very low in fat, it still presents some risk factors for human health.
When you grill your meat, the high temperatures will produce several reactions and chemical compounds called PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) or HCAs (heterocyclic amines). Studies show that these chemical compounds are carcinogenic products, quite dangerous for animals and perhaps for humans.
However, you do not have to renounce entirely to your BBQ. It is not the purpose of this article. Fortunately, there are many ways to enjoy a fresh grilled burger and also to preserve your health.
TRIM OFF all the FAT
First of all, fat means calories that lead to weight gain. In addition, when you grill fat meat, melted fat will drop on the hot parts of your BBQ and will produce the chemical compound, PAHs.
Therefore, it is wise to trim the fat before starting to grill.
MARINATE YOUR MEAT
If you marinate your meat before grilling it, you will reduce the quantity of chemical compounds such as HCAs and PAHs. In fact, if you marinate you meat you can reduce HCAs formation with at least 90%, not to mention that your meal will taste much better.
ADD SPICES to YOUR MEAT
Spices are the most important ingredients for any meal. They add natural flavor to your grilled meat, they are antioxidant and they can reduce a lot the percentage of HCAs.
The best are rosemary, ginger or turmeric that can block a greater percentage of HCAs.
CLEAN THOROUGHLY YOUR BBQ and also, YOUR MEAT
First, you should know that all black debris on your BBQ and also to your grilled meat is one hundred percent PAHs.
Therefore, you need to clean thoroughly your BBQ before your grilling to remove all this black residues, otherwise this nasty PAHs can end up on your grilled meat.
In addition, before eating, it is also, a good idea to cut off all the charred areas of your meat.
CHOOSE MORE VEGGIES and other MEAT ALTERNATIVES
Obviously, a veggie burger or other meat alternatives are healthier than regular meat burgers.
However, your professional BBQ will give veggie burgers a lot of flavor. More than that, you can use many condiments that will improve a lot the taste of your meal.
Actually, you can grill everything on your BBQ from fruits, such pears, peaches or pineapples to vegetables. Nothing is tastier than grilled peaches and yogurt.
IN CONCLUSION
If you love to grill, use these several tips for a healthier grilling. You can reduce considerable the percentage of HCAs and PAHs in your meals, not to mention that your food will be tastier.