Healthy barbecue - what do you want to know about it?
Can barbecue be beneficial and healthy for your daily diet?
Festive season is on! Good weather and high temperatures favor outdoor barbecues. However, you should know that poor preparation of grilled food can not be very good for your health. What are the principles to be followed when preparing meals? What should be considered to ensure that delicious dishes are safe and free from harmful substances?
How should you grill?
Grilling appears to be associated with high-fat and high-calorie foods served with an incredible amount of sauces and various aspects of fattening. In fact, it is up to us to decide how we will prepare for the barbecue. By some simple means, we can make sure that ready meals are suitable for the diet and do not cause weight gain. Here are some helpful tips to help you grill in a healthy and safe way.
Wash and clean the grill thoroughly
It seems logical, but not everyone has a conscientious approach to this issue. Removing grease and charred food remains after previous grilling is important not only for health reasons. Food leftovers on the grill are a source of many substances with harmful properties (including carcinogens). Let's make sure the equipment is always properly set up for the next party and cleaned well.
Use a safe fire starter
The igniter, like the coal itself, should be made only from natural and environmentally friendly materials (for example, wood). Thus, it will be certain that during combustion there is no danger of the release of tar or other toxic compounds. Pressed cardboard, fuels, wood containing chemicals (such as plywood or lacquered board), and printed paper should
definitely be avoided. The fumes that develop are a source of many health hazards, which can also change the taste of dishes. It is also important to remember that the barbecue should not be done directly over the fire, but over the coals - otherwise the products can quickly char and become “laden” with many carcinogenic compounds.
Mesh or disposable grill pan?
It would be good to grill foods and produce directly on the grill, which does not require much time. It's unlikely that much fat will melt and sink to the bottom, only to cause unhealthy substances to form on contact with fire. The best way to prepare fatty meats and vegetables is aluminum perforated grill pans, which ensure the free circulation of hot air. In addition, they prevent excessive leakage of grease.
Bet on homemade meat and vegetables
Many stores offer ready-to-use seasoning products for grilling. However, there is no guarantee that the ingredients used in the marinade are not of poor quality (such as oil) and are not intended to completely mask the taste of uncooked meat. The same for vegetables. Therefore, the best option would be to buy “naked” products and make pickles at home.
An easy home seasoning: a little olive oil and your favorite seasoning, which should be used in large quantities in grilled dishes. Especially since a significant part of it has a very valuable effect on the body. Herbs such as tarragon or marjoram can easily replace salt, while black pepper and cayenne pepper help boost digestive function and basil reduces the
risk of bloating. Spices have a very valuable effect for people with sensitive stomachs, who may react poorly to grilled foods. Meat should be left in the marinade for 24 hours, and vegetables for several hours. Thus, the products will take on the taste of the prepared spice mixture. Not'
The dark side of barbecue - a few words about harmful substances
Although barbecue meat loses approximately 20% of its fat content, this method of meal preparation can be very dangerous for your health. The effect of high temperature (ie, above 200 °C) on proteins and fats contained in meat products promotes the formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (eg benzo-alpha-pyrene) with proven carcinogenic
properties. However, it must be remembered that the health risks depend on the dosage: the occasional roast should not affect the condition of our bodies. If the diet during the holidays is mainly based on barbecue, then there is a high probability that health risks will appear, for example, deterioration of the cardiovascular system,
Barbecue recipes
For lovers of healthy and balanced food, we have prepared a wonderful burger recipe! Strictly defined macros, only healthy ingredients and no unnecessary high-calorie side dishes. Check out the link below, where you'll find the exact way to prepare our burgers and tell us how you found it.
Choose healthy alternatives to popular meals
At first glance, one might think that preparing healthy alternatives to popular barbecue is difficult. In fact, it takes very little to prepare very tasty dishes without excessive fat, the taste of which is sure to please more than one gourmet.
Fatty meat in the form of bacon or sausage can be successfully replaced with chicken or turkey skewers, which will turn out very tasty with dried or fresh vegetables and fruits.
Instead of mayonnaise, it is better to prepare tzatziki sauce: all you need is plain yogurt, grated cucumber, a little lemon juice, salt and pepper to get a very tasty and refreshing taste.
Instead of ketchup, it is better to use mustard that contains mustard seeds to aid digestion and reduce the feeling of heaviness. You can replace the sugar-laden tomato sauce with a homemade sauce made with vegetables and aromatic spices.
Alcohol is an inevitable addition to the barbecue, and flavored beers with a high content of sugar and carbohydrates are becoming more and more popular - it would be much better to prepare homemade lemonade that will be quite refreshing.
It's hard to imagine a barbecue without bread, but let's not forget that it's another dose of calories. For this reason, instead of an extra slice of bread, it is better to choose an extra portion of grilled vegetables, such as zucchini, peppers, eggplant, mushrooms or tomatoes.