A Foodie’s Guide To Healthy Grilling

Guide To Healthy Grilling! Grilling enables you to enjoy yourself while preparing delicious and flavorful meals outdoors. While a little oil is healthy, most of the fat is burned off during the process. However, grilling poses potential risks, like stomach, colorectal, and pancreatic cancer, particularly with red and processed meat.

These meats typically contain heterocyclic amines, which are created when meat or chicken is grilled under extreme heat. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are formed when the fats and juices fall on charcoal, leading to harmful flares and illnesses. 

As a foodie who loves grilled food, it’s helpful to learn the healthy techniques from the Grilling Master to eliminate fat content and help ensure you stay healthy at all times. The key is to choose the right meat without compromising your love for grilled food. 

Consider the following tips to get started on healthy grilling:

1. Try Out Grilled Vegetables And Fruits

Grilling isn’t only for meat products but also for vegetables and fruits because they don’t have HCAs and have a decreased risk of cancer. Try out grilling vegetables like bell peppers, zucchini, eggplant, mushrooms, asparagus, and corn on the cob; they’re nutritious and give vibrant colors and flavors.

When grilling, brush vegetables with light olive oil and grill until tender-crisp. Plus, you can mix small pieces of meat with vegetables to decrease cooking time.

Grilling fruits like pineapple, peaches, watermelon, and bananas adds natural sweetness by caramelizing their sugars, intensifying the flavors. Grilled fruits can be served as a healthy dessert, or you can pair them with meats for a delightful sweet-savory combination. 

2. Utilize Proper Grilling Methods 

A suitable gas or charcoal grilling method is vital for healthy meals. Start by controlling the heat by preheating the grill to the right temperature, depending on the food you’re grilling. High heat is ideal for searing and creating grill marks, while medium heat is better for cooking proteins thoroughly without burning them. 

Use foil to prevent delicate ingredients from falling through the grill grates. You can wrap fish, veggies, or fruits in foil with some seasonings for quick and healthy meats. Try grilling using a gas to regulate temperatures, unlike charcoal, which could quickly heat up and be difficult to control.

Also See

Grilled Paneer Salad

Recipe by Meera Girdhar

Now is the time to shed extra kilos that we added during festival times.

For this I prepared this salad having paneer and lots of vegetables grilled, warn, seasoned with a little bit of pepper, salt and lemon juice giving it very nice soothing flavour. Added walnuts to get nutty taste.

Check out this recipe

3. Turn To Lean Meat And Fish

Grilling processed meat is common, but they have a more increased likelihood of causing cancer because of high HAs. Instead, try lean meat and fish like chicken breasts, turkey burgers, fish filet, mackerel, salmon, trout, turkey, tofu, lean beef, or pork tenderloin, which typically have less fat and are healthier options to grill. 

Trim any visible fat before grilling to reduce fat content, lighting, and flare-ups. Ensure you place them on the grill and flip them constantly. 

4. Avoid Sugary Marination 

Marinating your protein overnight before grilling can help reduce the formation of carcinogens. You can use acidic marinades like spices, citrus juices, vinegar, and healthy oils like olive or avocado oil to add flavor and tenderize the meat

5. Try Plant-Based Options 

Plant-based meals can be great alternatives and healthy meat alternatives. Grilled tofu, tempeh, or seitan are healthy, protein-rich options that can be marinated and grilled perfectly. Making veggie burgers made with ingredients such as beans, lentils, or quinoa are also an excellent choice for a satisfying meatless meal.

6. Pre-cook Large Cuts

Cook your meat sparingly by pre-cooking larger cuts in the oven or on the stove before grilling them. This protects your meat from bacteria and food pathogens that can cause diseases. Alternatively, cut your meat into smaller chunks to decrease the cooking time and ensure that you constantly flip it to reduce extreme heat exposure and flare-ups. 

7. Balance Your Grilled Meals

When serving your grilled meals, aim for a well-balanced plate. Put in half-grilled vegetables, one-quarter with lean protein, and the remaining quarter with whole grain or starchy side dishes like quinoa, brown rice, or sweet potatoes, which ensures a nutritious and satisfying meal.

Also See

Grilled Corn On Cob With Chili-Lime-Butter

Recipe by Sasmita

Rainy season is here. Grilled corn on the cob sold by the street vendor is mine most favorite during these days. Corn on the cob or elote is a popular street food in Mexico. This is the culinary term used for a cooked ear of freshly picked sweet corn. Sweet corn is the most common variety of maize eaten directly off the cob. Ears of the corn are either steamed or boiled or roasted. Corn on the cob is normally eaten while still warm just after grilling or boiling followed by some condiments such as salt, butter and pepper. Corn was eaten by native American tribes. They ate corn as a staple food crop and ate it off the cob, either by roasting or boiling. Also they used corn skewers or corn cob holders (which are made of silver) to hold corn on the cob. One can roast the corn in oven or direct on open flame. When roasting in oven, cooking the corn in the husk on the oven rack is recommended. When roasting or grilling corn on the cob on direct flame first peel back the corn husks leaving them attached at the base of the ear, remove all of the corn silk and then with husks pulled back, tie together with a piece of husk or string to form a handle and finally place directly the corn on the wired grilled on the flame. A variety of condiments are preferred such as salt, lime juice, butter, chili powder, mayonnaise, cheese etc. But here in this recipe, I’ll go with butter, chili powder, salt and lime juice. Since it is raining, so oven roasting never gives a corn on the cob the taste that anyone will get by roasting on direct flame. The tangy, spicy and the smokiness is just perfect in this rainy evening.

Check out this recipe

8. Always Clean Your Griller 

Clean your grill before each use to ensure your food doesn’t contain previously burnt residues. A clean grill provides healthy cooking and improves the flavor of your food. Use a cloth to wipe down the grill to prevent the grill bristles from getting into your meals. Remember that proper maintenance extends the lifespan of your grill, allowing you to continue enjoying healthy grilling for a long time.

Conclusion 

Grilling can be a healthy and exciting way to prepare delicious meals. It’s all possible by choosing lean proteins and experimenting with different flavors and techniques. You can look into the methods the experts use to help you implement the versatility of grilling and unleash your creativity to create mouthwatering, healthy dishes.

Also Read:

• 5 Grilling Tips With Charcoal or Gas Grill This Summer
• 5 Best Food to Grill This Summer
• Grilling Your First-Ever BBQ? Follow These 10 Tips And Tricks For The Best Results