How to make your BBQ healthier
By Dr. Joey Shulman (canadianliving.com)
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We help you Gear up for barbecue season with barbecue safety and nutrition tips.
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After a long, hard winter it is finally here! Barbecue season is back with a vengeance. From the smell of burgers cooking to the sizzle of vegetables grilling, Canadians are thrilled to be cooking outdoors once again.
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When it comes to being barbecue-savvy, there are a few key pointers that will help keep your cooked food healthy and safe while you enjoy delicious and nutritious foods.
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When the temperature rises and raw meats enter the picture, food safety is always a concern. In order to enjoy a healthy barbecue season and avoid any food-borne illness, consider some of the safety tips below.
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Always wash your hands with soap and water before handling food.
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Rinse fresh fish, meats and poultry in cool water to remove any potentially harmful bacteria that may have collected in their packaging. The #1 risk of food poisoning when barbecuing is from raw and undercooked meat.
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Be sure to cook chicken, burgers, hot dogs and kabobs until they’re hot all the way through, the meat is no longer pink and juices run clear. Do not cook them until they are charred and black. Charred or black meat may contain cancer-causing substances.
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Keep raw and cooked meats separate from each other, as raw meat can contaminate the cooked meat. To prevent cross contamination, wash your hands thoroughly after handling raw meat, use separate utensils for raw and cooked meat, never put cooked food back on the same plate that held raw food and don't add sauce or marinade to cooked food if it has already been used with raw meat – reserve some marinade for basting.
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Research shows that high temperature charcoal grilling of foods that contain fat and protein, including barbecue favorites like hamburgers, hot dogs and chicken, can lead to the production of cancer-causing chemicals, called heterocyclic amines (HAs), in the smoke. To minimize the risk, you can precook foods and finish them off on the grill; less time spent on the grill means fewer cancer-causing agents in the meats. Also, choose leaner cuts of meat and trim the fat off because oil and fats often spark smoke (full of cancer-causing substances).
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Keep food covered whenever possible to protect it from insects, birds and pets, which can carry bugs.
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Throw food out if it has been sitting out for more than one or two hours. Perishable food is susceptible to bacteria growth.
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Healthy BBQ ideas
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While some people equate barbecue season with an expanding waist line, this is not necessarily so. In fact, the barbecue can be one of the most powerful weight loss tools you have to loss those extra pounds. How so you ask? Simply refer to the healthy barbecue tips below and enjoy!
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When selecting your meats, make sure to choose meats that are labeled "lean" or "extra lean".
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Barbecuing vegetables are a tasty way to get some colour and nutrients into your diet. Simply brush the vegetables with olive oil and your favourite seasoning, wrap in tin foil and place on the grill, vegetable kabobs are the perfect outdoor menu option that can be served as appetizers. Try kabobs with peppers, mushrooms, onions or other vegetables of your choice.
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Limit fatty, processed meats such as bacon, hot dogs and sausages. These meats are high in saturated fats, are pro-inflammatory and can be a contributing factor in excess weight gain, high cholesterol and heart disease. For a good hot dog substitute, opt for chicken, turkey or soy hot dogs which are lower in saturated fat and total fat in comparison to pork or beef. You could also look for "lean" beef hot dogs.
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When eating your favorite patty from the barbecue (salmon, turkey, chicken, veggie or lean beef), eat it with a whole grain bun. Whole grain breads and buns are lower on the glycemic index, higher in fibre and just as delicious as their white counterparts.
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Nutritional facts about your favourite condiments and barbecued foods:
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Item..........................................Calories......Sugar (g).......Fat (g)
Ketchup (1 tsp.) ............................20 .............5 ...............0
Relish (1 tsp.) ...............................15 .............4 ...............0
Mustard (1 tsp.) .............................0 ..............0 ...............0
Mayonnaise (1 tsp.) .....................100 .............1 ..............11
Light mayonnaise (1 tsp.) ..............30 ..............3 ...............2
Light BBQ sauce (1 tsp.) ................9 .............2.2 ............0.1
1 beef patty .................................340 .............3 ..............27
1 veggie patty ..............................106 ............0.7 ............2.8
1 hot dog .....................................181 .............1 .............15
1 veggie hot dog ............................70 ..............1 .............3.5
Macaroni salad (1/2 cup) ...............158 ............19 ..............8
Potato salad (1/2 cup) ...................220 ............19 ............15
Creamy coleslaw (1/2 cup) ............130 .............15 .............7
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Wishing you a healthy and happy summer!
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2 comments:
yum, i Love grilled food!
I agree. I just had a awesome meal cooked on the barbeque. I rapped in tinfoil, broccoli, carrots, cabbage and onions dabbed with coconut oil and salt & cayenne pepper. Then I cooked steak with onions & garlic sprinkled with a little thyme, salt & pepper on tin foil. Then after taking off the steak, I mixed some cooked rice with the onions/garlic and juices from the steak. When it was done grilling, waaalaa; a fantastic meal! To drink, I made a yummy smoothie with frozen blueberries, yogurt and this health drink that has ginsing in it. Thank God for Barbeques!!!!
Do you do much barbequing? If anyone is reading this, do you have some good barbeque recipes?
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