Barbecue season is back! Here, our top tips for healthier grilling.
Now that the weather is turning warmer and we’re all outside more, it’s time to start firing up the barbecue again. And we Canadians sure do love to barbecue.
At one point, Canada was leading the world in Google searches for barbecue chicken and ribs recipes. It’s a long-standing seasonal tradition in this country, but some cautionary studies in recent years are leading many of us to change the way we go about grilling.
Without taking all the fun out of backyard barbecues, here are some tips for making delicious, healthy grilled food.
1) Don’t char your meats: Numerous studies have shown that eating charred meats can increase the risk for certain types of cancer. A University of Minnesota study, for example, found that eating blackened meat on a regular basis increased the risk of pancreatic cancer by 60 per cent. Other studies have shown an increased risk for stomach, colorectal, prostrate and other cancers.
When protein-rich meats, poultry or fish are exposed to high heat and flames, heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic hydrocarbons are formed. It’s these chemicals that have been linked to various cancers.
As a way of mitigating the risk, the Canadian Cancer Society recommends choosing lean cuts of meats, poultry and seafood over higher fat meats. This reduces flare-ups and the resulting smoke when fat burns. (Taking the skin off chicken, for example, is a great start and also cuts down on fat and calories.)
British Columbia’s healthlinkbc.ca suggests barbecuing smaller meat portions, like kabobs, which won’t spend as much time on the grill.
You can also wrap meats in foil for part of the cooking process or line the grills with tin foil punctured with small holes to reduce their direct contact with open flames.
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