4 Tips for Healthy Grilling

Enjoy the Goodness Without the Guilt

“Hey, we’re firing up the grill to cook dinner! Want to bring something and join us?”

That’s a common invitation we hear from friends in the summertime. And it prompts the question: What would you bring? Cookouts in Wisconsin are a beloved tradition, especially following our long, cold winters. But they can also be known for their high-calorie dishes. So how can you enjoy all the goodness of grilling without the guilt? Brenda Leigh, MS, RD, a registered dietitian and exercise physiologist with ThedaCare, offers a few tips.

1. Opt for More Fruits and Vegetables

“We often shock our friends when my family arrives with vegetables and fruit and no meat,” Leigh says.

Many people think grilling is a healthier way to cook meat, but that’s not always the case.  

Higher cooking temperatures can cause chemical reactions that produce dangerous compounds called heterocyclic amines (HCAs). These compounds can damage our DNA and have been proven to cause cancer, Leigh says.

Grilling meat also produces another carginogen: polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). This occurs when fat from the meat drips onto the heat source, leading to smoke that attaches to the meat. Essentially, the hotter and longer a meat is cooked, the more HCAs and PAHs it produces.

Leigh recommends experimenting with vegetables as the main course cooked on the grill. Great options include asparagus, broccoli, baby carrots, corn, eggplant, yellow squash, zucchini, bell peppers, sweet onions, small tomatoes wedges, and mushrooms.

Cut the vegetables into one-half-inch slices or chunks. Coat them lightly with a light salad dressing, or canola or olive oil. Season with your favorite spices and then place the vegetables on an oiled grate or in a grill pan. Grill them on low to medium heat until they’re lightly browned, turning them only once.

“Many of the smaller veggies will only need five to seven minutes to cook. You’ll be amazed at how fresh and great they’ll taste!” Leigh says.

Root vegetables — such as beets, winter squash, potatoes, and sweet potatoes — also grill nicely. Leigh suggests coating them lightly with oil and seasoning, wrapping them in foil, and grilling them for 20-45 minutes.

Another option is to put the veggies onto a skewer and mix them with a few chunks of chicken, steak, or shrimp to create a kebab. Brush with oil, a light salad dressing, or fruit juice and enjoy.

“Make the plant-based food the main focus of your meal versus meat,” Leigh says.

Make the plant-based food the main focus.

Brenda Leigh, MS, RD, ThedaCare

2. Prepare Your Meat Differently

For those who simply don’t want to give up meat, Leigh has several suggestions:

• Cook on lower heat
• Choose lean cuts of meat and poultry, or opt for fish or seafood
• Thaw the meat to room temperature before cooking, and cut it into small chunks so it will cook through faster
• Pre-cook the meat for two to five minutes in a microwave before grilling to reduce fat drippings
• Marinate the meat before cooking

Marinating the meat decreases fat drippings and thus the production of the PAHs. As opposed to using oils in the marinade, Leigh recommends choosing more acidic liquids. These include vinegar, wines, low-sodium soy sauce, and fruit juices. Then throw in herbs, garlic, ginger, minced chilies, or black pepper to add some spice to the mixture.

“If you’re planning to pour some of the marinade over the meat after cooking, set that portion aside before you put the meat in the marinade,” Leigh says. “Otherwise you’ll put raw meat juices back onto the meat as you’re eating it. That can introduce bacteria that could cause stomach problems.”

Leigh recommends marinating meat from 30 minutes to a few hours or overnight, depending on how thick the cut of meat is. The acid in the meat can actually start to “cook” the meat slightly.

3. Don’t Forget Dessert!

Leigh says grilled fruits make a delicious dessert. “Grilling brings out amazing flavors in fruit.”

She especially recommends grilling apples, bananas, cantaloupe, pears, peaches, and pineapple. Cut the fruit in half, removing pits and cores. Coat lightly with canola oil, and place the fruit pulp-side down on a clean, oiled grill surface. Sprinkle with a little cinnamon or brown sugar after flipping the fruit. Typically fruit only needs three to five minutes on the grill, as it can burn easily.

Grilling brings out amazing flavors in fruit.

Brenda Leigh, MS, RD, ThedaCare

Some of Leigh’s family’s favorite grilled fruit desserts are:

• Cantaloupe kebobs: Skewer chunks of cantaloupe and brush with honey, butter, and chopped mint. Cook three to four minutes.
• Slice bananas lengthwise, leaving the peel on. Add a few dark chocolate chips and miniature marshmallows in the center. Wrap the banana in foil and cook for three to five minutes.
• Fill peach halves with blueberries. Sprinkle with brown sugar and lemon juice. Wrap in foil and grill for 15-20 minutes.
• Grill slices of angel food cake for one to three minutes until brown, then top with chilled berries.

4. Practice Safe Grilling Methods

Gas, electric, or charcoal: Which grill type produces fewer PAHs? Experts favor gas or electric grills over charcoal grills. It’s easier to control the temperature on gas and electric grills. Charcoal also produces more smoke.

Leigh offers these additional suggestions for safer grilling:

• Always clean the grate before placing food on the grill
• Limit the amount of any charcoal lighter fluid you use, as that leaves a petroleum residue on your food (and in your lungs if you’re doing the cooking)
• On charcoal grills, cook using the indirect method as much as possible to reduce smoke
• Trim excess fat and cut meat into smaller pieces so it cooks faster
• If marinated, dry meat well and coat lightly with oil
• After placing meat on the grill, don’t flip it until it has seared on one side
• Remove the meat from the grill as soon as it has finished cooking

“Grilling can be a great way to have fun outdoors and bring out new some flavors in food,” Leigh says. “But we need to focus less on grilling meat. It’s time to put more food from our gardens or the farmer’s market on the grill instead of meat.”