The grills are fired up, and everyone is ready to enjoy the outdoors. But when it's time to grill and chill at your next cookout or barbecue, there are some simple steps you can take to make sure you're cooking as healthy as possible. Sayde Beeler, a registered dietitian with Henry Ford Health System, joined us on the patio to give us some grilling advice.
Beeler's first suggestion trim the fat off the meat. This is not just for your waistline. Trimming the fat helps lower your exposure to harmful chemicals. Beeler said you want to trim the fats on all types of meats.
Her next advice, use an acid marinade. Studies show bathing food in an acidic marinade can reduce the number of carcinogens. "If you bathe your meat in a marinade it is going to pre-cook the meat. If you pre-cook the meat in advance, then you don't have to keep it on the grill for a long time," said Beeler. "This will reduce your chance of being exposed to harmful chemicals."
Examples of acid marinade, Beeler said are beer, pineapple juice, orange juice and any vinegar.
Finally Beeler said do not to char your food. Using a gas grill can help with this.
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