Who doesn’t love a delicious meal cooked on an outdoor grill? We certainly do! But did you know that improper cooking methods can derail your efforts to stay healthy?
There are some delicious ways, however, to actually REDUCE your carcinogen exposure when grilling outdoors. Not to be a spoil sport, but grilling can produce harmful compounds like heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). To limit exposure while enjoying your grilled foods, follow these tasty tips:
- Marinate meats: Experiments have shown that the simple process of marinating meats in acidic ingredients like lemon juice or vinegar before grilling can significantly decrease HCAs and PAHs formation.
- Precook or partially cook: Precooking meat before grilling may reduce cooking times on the grill, and thus limit the formation of harmful compounds.
- Keep your grill low and slow: Keep flames low as excessive flame flare-ups and charring can lead to dangerous HCA and PAH formation.
- Toss on some tasty antioxidants: Adding fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme can provide superior antioxidant benefits and you’ll be delighted at the flavor they bring to the table!
>>Discover more health tips: Simple Ways to Reduce Your Carcinogen Exposure This Summer
