Grilling is a popular summertime cooking option, and a cookout is a great way to bring family and friends together on a warm afternoon. Here’s a few tips to make sure the grill is a boost to your diet:
- Toss veggies on the grill—zucchini, eggplant, corn, asparagus and bell peppers are all great grilling veggies.
- Trim fat off meat—not only does this keep you from eating excess fat, but it also reduces potentially cancer-causing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from forming in the smoke that coats the meat after fat hits the flames.
- Avoid charred parts of grilled meat—the black portions of your hamburger can contain heterocyclic amines (HCAs), which are another carcinogenic compound formed when meat is exposed to high heat.
- Use a spicy marinade—it can make your grilled meat healthier by helping to reduce the number of HCAs that attach to the meat during cooking.