Make grilling a healthy experience

There is certainly something very relaxing and pleasurable about cooking and eating food on the grill. There are countless ways you can turn your grilling into not only a tasty and enjoyable way to cook, but there are plenty of healthy and tasty alternatives as well. Like anything else in life, what you put on your grill is a choice. Grilling healthy first means you’ve decided to eat healthy. Grilling can be a great way to reduce fat and add wonderful flavor, however, we must also be careful when grilling as there can be certain risks if precautions are not taken. Healthy eating always starts with making healthy low-fat food choices and using marinades to reduce harmful carcinogens.

We know that charcoal grilling can produce carcinogenic smoke due to high-temperature cooking of foods that contain fat and protein. This can produce chemical changes harmful to health in the outer layers of meat foods. To avoid these dangerous chemical formations, we must avoid inhaling the smoke and avoid black carbon on the outside of foods cooked with charcoal caused by excessive heat and/or overcooking. It is also recommended to avoid any lighter fluids or starter packs, as these can also add toxic chemicals directly to your food. Instead, use a chimney starter and newspaper to light the charcoal. While this method may initially take a few minutes longer, it’s quicker and healthier in the long run. The use of marinades can also help to greatly reduce carcinogens in food. By using a marinade, not only will your food gain extra flavor, but even a simple marinade consisting of olive oil and citrus juice can reduce harmful chemicals by up to 99%. A marinade will also help tenderize and bring out the natural flavors of your food.

There has been a lot of talk about grilling and cancer risk. While the risk is real and needs to be considered, there are a few simple things you can do to greatly reduce your risk of cancer from grilling. The harmful chemicals that can be formed are created by putting food, primarily meat, under intense heat and flame. These are cancer-forming agents, however by taking a few simple precautions you can greatly reduce or even eliminate the risks. Grilling isn’t the only cooking method that causes these agents, so there’s no reason to give up your grill. Done right, grilling is one of the healthiest cooking methods.

To reduce the risks follow these basic tips:

• Cut excess fat from all foods. Fats are the main contributors to harmful chemicals, so avoid fatty foods as much as possible.
• The use of marinades based on olive oils and citrus juices helps a lot to reduce the risks.
• Keep a clean grill. This will also help reduce harmful cancer-forming chemicals.
• Keep your grill from igniting. Extreme heat and flames will also increase risk.
• Don’t overcook food. If you accidentally char your food, simply scrape or cut off that portion.

The marinade recipe below is simple, versatile and tasty and will significantly reduce harmful cancer-forming agents. The marinade will work perfectly with poultry, pork, vegetables and seafood and should be combined with the food of your choice at least 1 hour before grilling.

single marinade
¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon of honey
2 teaspoons Italian herb mix
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Grilling can be a great way to prepare low-fat meals, and it just takes a little imagination to create healthy foods. Try to start with foods you already enjoy and find ways to turn them into healthier options. Reducing fat, substituting skinless chicken, using healthy marinades are some of the things you can do to start forming healthy habits.

Grilled Fennel Salad with Nicoise Olives

Ingredients:
2 orange bell peppers
3 fennel bulbs with tops
2 teaspoons of white wine vinegar
1 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
18 small nicoise olives
2 sprigs of savory
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions:
Grill the peppers using the flame of your gas grill or whatever method you prefer. Place them in a bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Remove the green leaves (top flowering parts) and set them aside for later. Cut the fennel lengthwise into about five thick pieces. Lay the fennel pieces flat on a plate and cover with 1 ½ tablespoons of olive oil. Season the fennel to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Remove the carbon from the peppers and cut them into small cubes.

Put your grill on medium heat and add the fennel slices, turning frequently for 7-10 minutes. Grill until fennel shows grill marks. Be sure to cook them until they are the desired texture, but don’t burn too much. Transfer to garnish.

Combine vinegar and remaining olive oil and pour evenly over fennel. Lightly combine the pepper mixture with the fennel while adding the olives. Tear savory and fennel leaves and sprinkle over fennel.

Grilled Fennel Salad is fantastic as a side dish or as a main course. As a side dish, consider serving it with a simply grilled chicken or seafood. Just remember that what you put in your stomach or on your grill is your choice.