Have you been grilling while social distancing? A lot of us are home cooking a lot more while we spend more time in the garden at home due to COVID-19. Whether you’ve been grilling every day or if you’re curious to give it a try, there are lots of health benefits for grilling that everyone can enjoy. Find a new recipe and give it a try!
Less fat intake
You’ll see excess fat dripping from your meat once they start cooking. This excess fat would be re-absorbed by your food if you were preparing it on a pan, but the grill offers an exit for it, so the more dripping fat the less fat you consume.
More vitamins
Grilled vegetables tend to retain more nutrients and vitamins than steamed or fried ones, especially those with low water content. The same thing happens with meat. Grilling meats helps retain riboflavin and thiamine, two nutrients that have many health benefits associated with them.
More moisture
Grilling helps lock in moisture, this will keep you from adding butter or different condiments that will make your food unhealthier. The end result is food with more flavour and less added ingredients.
Time outside
Grilling is generally done outside. Once you’re in a patio or backyard, surrounded by people, and waiting for your food to be done, you get to be active. Some people like playing with their kids while the wait, or they simply sit down and socialize. You spend time breathing in fresh air, staying active and preparing healthy food. Win-win situation right?
Less chemicals
If you want to be extra healthy – by avoiding grilling with charcoal – your food will be healthier. Use a gas griller to get the same flavorful food and avoid cancer-causing chemicals at the same time. Grilling with charcoal has been proven to expose your food to bad chemicals that can cause several diseases (cancer included), so grill with gas and be healthier.
More alternatives
Yes, you can grill hot dogs, meat and burgers, but there’s tons of other options! Try grilling a pizza, mushrooms, zucchini or fruits like pears and peaches, it will give regular food a simple and healthy twist.
Something you should keep in mind while grilling is the time your food spends being cooked. Over-cooked food, more specifically burnt food, contains more acrylamide (a reaction between the natural amino-acid asparagine and the natural carbohydrates the food contains. Acrylamide is also formed when you smoke tobacco, and has the same negative effects on your health. So pay attention to your food and don’t eat if it burns.
