Back when I was in college, I bought a book about weight lifting and nutrition. In one particular section, I remember reading a comment from former Mr. Olympia, Franco Columbo, about grilling out. He said cooking meat over an open flame is equivalent to smoking six cigarettes!
The book went on to say grilling meat at high temperatures produces carcinogens. These are substances that can cause changes in DNA, which may lead to cancer.
Yeah, grilling out is as American as the Fourth of July. But you can still have a good time and reduce your risk by following these recommended steps:
- Select lean cuts of meat and limit portion size.
- Place aluminum foil with holes over the grill to prevent fat from dripping and causing flare-ups that can deposit carcinogens from smoke onto the meat.
- Marinate meat for at least 10 minutes before grilling. Research suggests that soaking meat in any acidic liquid reduces the formation of carcinogens.
- Pre-cook meat briefly indoors before grilling, to reduce the amount of juices that can hold carcinogens.
- Flip the meat often to reduce the temperature on both sides.
- Avoid eating charred parts of meat.
- Do not press, flatten or pierce the meat. It will cause flavorful juices to be lost and may cause flare-ups.
By using these tips, you can minimize your health risks while celebrating the holiday with friends and family.
Have a great July 4th!
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sigh
sad huh?
there is so much to keep in mind even with GRILLING—-but youre right.
Miz.
The way I look at it, our bodies take so many hits every day. This puts stress on our system, particularly the pancreas and liver.
There are some things we simply cannot control, especially living in today’s world, using modern technology that makes our lives easier.
However, there are some things we do have control over, such as what we eat, drink, or how often we exercise.
By no means am I perfect. But why burden ourselves unnecessarily when we have a choice to do otherwise? This includes grilling out processed meat over a charcoaled flame. That’s why I included tips to help minimize the health risks, because I know so many people will grill out anyway.
I know some people may be reading this and think, “This is too extreme. I’m going to live my life! Why deprive myself?” But they probably have never watched their grandfather slowly die of cancer? Or seen their father on oxygen for eight years, and die painfully at the end from cancer. Like I did.
I agree with you completely! We stopped grilling years ago! Great post!
Wow, I never thought that grilling could be bad for you. but after reading your post you really made a lot of good points. I’m sure we will keep grilling but I think now we will be a little more careful how we grill. Thanks.
HistoryLover,
Yes, I know people will continue to grill out, and that’s okay. Just make sure you follow some of these tips, if not all of them, in order to minimize your long-term health risks.
I have known for a long time that grilled foods are not healthy, and so have stopped eating such foods. Now I can eat grilled foods occasionally with your tips. Thanks!
Is grilling over a propane grill as bad as over charcoal? We often use foil because we have to cook very lean cuts of meat and they burn easily. Wow, this might certainly put a damper on camping – I think I’ll stock up on some marinades!
According to Men’s Health magazine, propane grilling is healthier than charcoal grilling.
Any type of grilling adds carcinogens to your food. It is caused by dripping fat on the heat source. The smoke created from that gets in the food. With charcoal there’s simply more smoke.
Just be careful not to char your grilled meats too much.