Grill it, Baby

[LisaN]

As summer approaches, if you’re looking for a healthier way to cook your foods,

Then, Grill it, Baby!

Grilling your food is one of the healthiest ways to cook. Unlike some stove top cooking and recipes, grilling is an extremely healthy alterative.

Here are a few suggestions to keep in mind while grilling your food:

1. Keep the grilled meat to a correct portion size

For many people, the word “grill” equates to a huge, juicy steak. There’s nothing wrong with including a steak in your diet, but keep the portion to its rightful size, which is about the size of a cassette tape. Why? With the addition of your salad, grilled vegetables, and maybe a piece of whole wheat bread, you’ll be more than full without overeating or feeling stuffed.

An even better alternative is to grill chicken or fish. Both are lower in fat than beef, taste good, and are easy to barbeque.

2. Grilled vegetables taste great and are easy to prepare

Just put them on a skewer, cook them dry in a pan, or make a grilled vegetable sandwich:

Don’t forget about the Healthy Potatoes Ask the Dietitian told us about.

By the way, here is a great grilled potato recipe--Grilled Potato Planks.

3. Use Marinade

If you make your own or purchase one, read the food label to check the fat content. If you use any oil, make sure it’s canola or better yet, olive oil. The longer you marinate meat or poultry, the more tender it will be so 2 hours is good. You’ll only need 30 minutes for fish. Refrigerate either while it’s marinating.

Don’t use the leftover marinating liquid to baste your meat or poultry. Mixing raw food with cooked food is a food safety hazard.

For some marinade recipe ideas, try the Dallas News.

4. To lessen cooking time, either cut your meat or chicken into small portions, or precook it in the oven or stove top

When I used to grill chicken (on an old fashioned charcoal grill), it always used to always burn before it was finished. So I started pre-boiling it ahead of time. This method kept the meat juicy and it partially cooks it. When it was about half done, I transferred it to the grill, getting all the taste and health benefits of the grill. That way you get perfectly cooked chicken.

So, are you ready to fire up the grill? Or if you’ve already “Grilled it,” this weekend, what did you grill? Did it turn out as you anticipated?

And we all know the other benefit of grilling:

The aroma!

There’s nothing like the smell of a barbeque to wake up your hunger senses and get your mouth watering, because

After all, it’s about a healthy lifestyle!

© Iowa Avenue

Photo courtesy of mache