5 Healthy Grilling Tips

1.  Choose lean cuts of meat: Using baby back pork ribs instead of beef short ribs saves 300 calories and 17 grams of saturated fat for every 6 ounces. Choose 93% lean ground beef, bison, loin cuts, fish, chicken sausage, and veggie burgers for fun alternatives to traditional burgers.

2.  Pile up the produce: grill asparagus, peppers, squash, zucchini, tomatoes, beets, mushrooms, artichokes…and the list goes on.  Sprinkle a dash of olive oil and pepper to bring out the vegetables’ natural flavor.  Add a smoky twist to fruit by grilling pineapple or pears with honey for a warm dessert.

3.  SPICE things up: choose spices or powders for flavor to help cut out the added salt. Also consider adding citrus juices like lemon or lime to for extra flavor and health benefits.

4.  Get proper grilling tools: soak wooden skewers for 30 minutes before grilling for creative meat and veggie kebob combinations.  This will keep wood skewers from burning.  Use a meat thermometer to take the guesswork out of grilling meat (beef = 145 degrees, pork = 160 degrees, lamb = 145 degrees, poultry = 165 degrees).

5.  Avoid cancer-causing compounds: use a wood plank to prevent direct contact between meet and grill flames (where carcinogens can form).  Grilling on a wood plank also enhances the aroma and flavor of the meat.  In addition to grilling on wood, integrating antioxidant-rich vegetables, fruits, spices, olive oil, and citrus juices into the meal can also help fight these cancer-causing compounds.