HEALTHY SUMMER BARBECUING
by Natasha Villeneuve C.N.P
 Summer is here, and that familiar scent is drifting from backyards everywhere. It's BBQ time, and that means lots of sun, fun and stuffed bellies with friends and family. But is all that grilling healthy, or is it
taking a toll on your body? even putting you at risk of cancer? That all
depends on your technique and ingredient choices. Unfortunately, food high in fat, sodium and sugar are usually on the grill in the summer. Fried foods and fatty meats taste good but can put too much saturated fat in your diet and create toxic carcinogens on the grill. There are safer ways you can BBQ add still enjoy the delicious flavors.
First a little on the risks of barbecuingŠ.Whenever fat drips onto a flame, heating element, or hot coals, carcinogenic chemicals called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are formed. They rise with the smoke and are deposited onto the surface of the food. Hydrocarbons can also form directly on food when it is charred. Grilled meat is the major source of PAHs in our food. The key to preventing PAHs from forming is to ensure the heat source or flame doesn't touch our food so as to char it. We also need to stop fat from dripping onto the heat source. Grilled fatty meats contain more PAHs
than leaner cuts. Now that many people have stopped eating meat, there are
many vegetarian alternatives to meat that contain way less fat are are less damaging to our health and to the environment.
Another risky chemical called heterocyclic amines (HAs) occurs in barbecued meats. HAs are formed from the burning of protein components called amino acids, and from other substances that are in all meats. In general, the hotter the temperature and the more well-done the meat, the more HAs. One study by the National Cancer Institute's Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics found that those who ate their beef well-done or even just medium-well had more than three times the risk of stomach cancer compared with those who ate rare or medium-rare beef.
Know the correct way to use your grill safely and make barbecuing an occasional treat. Opt for a veggie grill or stock up on meatless burgers and hot dogs. If you really must have meat, follow these guidelines to keep harmful carcinogens to a minimum:
1) It will not have been given growth hormones or antibiotics. This means that you and your family won't be consuming these chemical residues.
2) It wouldn't have be given foreign ingredients such as genetically modified grain in its feed.
3) Factory-farm animals are often fed animal by-products such as meat meal and bone meal, in addition to grains. Organic animals aren't fed animal byproducts.
4) If free-range, it will not have been kept in crowded, stressful, contaminated cages and will have been allowed to rome in nature.
Choose lean cuts of meat. Choose fish and skinless poultry more often; they are generally lower in saturated fat than meat. Limit high fat processed meats like bacon, bologna, salami, hot dogs, and sausage.
Some chicken and turkey hot dogs are lower in saturated fat and total fat than pork and beef hot dogs. There are also "lean" beef hot dogs that are low in fat and saturated fat.
Keep meats that take a long time to cook from being exposed to direct heat for long durations by precooking it on the stove. (ex: boil chicken leg until almost done & then grill it until done) Choose foods like kabobs that don't take too long to cook Cut away charred parts. Grill only thawed meat since frozen meat chars while the inside remains frozen.
Trim off as much fat as possible and remove all skin before cooking.
Keep fat from dripping onto the heat source and producing smoke. Place a stainless steel pan or heavy-duty aluminum foil underneath grilling food.
Instead of oil, choose different sorts of marinades or rubs which help to prevent charring.When using charcoal, keep coals to one side and food to the other.
Choose whole, organic ingredients and dress them yourself rather than buying prepared BBQ foods full of chemical additives and preservatives.
Cut the salt, use herbs and spices instead.
Grill a load of vegetables wrapped in foil and skip the meat.
Another important healthy measure we can take when enjoying the barbecue is to choose natural, organic condiments. Most condiments these days are full of sugar and salt, making them more appealing to children. Commercial condiments are usually sweetened with sucrose (white sugar), dextrose, and/or glucose, all highly refined sugars void of nutrients. Children are major consumers of condiments such as ketchup, mustard, and relish (they consume more than 50 per cent of the ketchup produced).
It's easy to think, "Why does it matter if this product is full of additives? It's only a tiny part of my meal." The differences may seem meaningless, but given the number of condiments we use, those little indiscretions can add up. Twenty years ago, the condiments section in a typical grocery store consisted of a few bottles of ketchup, mustard, relish, and mayonnaise. Today you're likely to find entire sections devoted to barbeque sauces, marinades, chutneys, meat sauces, oriental sauces, and many more. Chemicals can accumulate in the body stressing the organs of elimination and causing allergies.
Good news! If you're trying to improve the overall quality of your diet, condiments are one of the easiest ways to start. The increasing number of natural condiments available offers quality without sacrificing taste.
Natural condiments may cost a little more than their conventional counterparts, but superior flavor and nutritional value make them worth it.
Eating "cleaner" condiments also allows you to reduce your consumption of
food additives. Look for condiments that contain organic ingredients and
are free of artificial flavors, colors, chemical preservatives, additives, hydrogenated oils, cottonseed oils, and artificial sweeteners.
So there are ways you can enjoy the summer barbecue season. Just be cautious and like anything else, be careful not to overindulge! See our recipe of the month for great grilling recipes.
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