Let’s take a look at the tricks and tips of grilling healthy meals shared by a team in Adina Healthy Village; a leading and reliable Food Court and restaurant in Hialeah providing high-quality foods.
What’s the health risk of Grilling?
Most recent research on high-temperature cooking methods focuses collectively on frying, grilling, broiling, and grilling. Despite the fact that there are little researches directed particularly on the health effects of grilling as a cooking method, there is sufficient data suggesting that we shouldn’t overlook the possibility of the negative impact of grilling on our health. These concerns about the health risk of grilling are due to the following discoveries through research.
Presence of Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs)
AGEs are harmful compounds created when fat or protein combine with sugar in the bloodstream. AGEs can also be created when some foods are cooked at high temperatures, such as grilling, roasting, and broiling. AGEs build up naturally as we age. Our body gets rid of AGEs naturally, but when too much are ingested through food, there is a risk of having chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease.
Presence of PAHs and HCAs
PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) and HCAs (heterocyclic amines) are chemical compounds created when the proteins of animals like beef, fish, pork or chicken are cooked at high temperatures. In high doses, these compounds in animals become carcinogenic. However, cancer in the human body hasn’t been linked directly to these compounds by research.
Food Surveys
From the report of food surveys frequently carried out in Adina’s healthy village restaurant located in Miami, individuals with greater consumption of well barbecued or cooked meats have a greater risk of developing colon, bladder, and pancreatic cancers.
How does Adina Healthy Village minimize the health risks associated with grilling of meals?
Soak the food in a Marinade
Protein foods like red meat are soaked in an acidic marinade like lemon juice or vinegar, for 30minutes. The report shows that AGEs formed during the cooking of red meat marinated for an hour reduces by nearly half compared to non-marinated red meat.
Make Use of Herbs
Research confirmed that certain chemical compounds in Salvia Rosmarinus, a plant commonly called rosemary, reduces the production of HCA significantly when cooked with beef. This is due to the protective effects of the antioxidants in herbs with fragrance. Therefore, consider adding small amounts of thyme, sage, rosemary, or oregano to protein foods.
Add Vegetables
Reduce serving only meat. Add extra vegetables on the grill or on a side dish included in the menu. Foods with a high content of fat and protein form the greatest number of HCAs and AGEs compared to meals (like vegetables) with high carbohydrate and low-fat contents which create the lowest number of HCAs and AGEs. Additionally, the photo chemicals and antioxidants produced by vegetables protect the body from such harmful chemical compounds.
Grill Rapidly
The method and time used in cooking affect the formation of these harmful chemical compounds. We recommend that if a high-temperature cooking method like grilling is used, the time used in cooking should be reduced. For instance, meat can be cut into smaller pieces, or protein foods like fish which cooks rapidly, should be used. You can cook meat (in a few minutes to get some grill marks and flavor) that needs a longer time to cook. Remove and complete your cooking in an oven at a lower temperature.
Carefully select Protein meals
It is advisable you choose pork, chicken, or fish when grilling. Occasionally you can select lamb, lean beef, and other red meats. However, processed meats like hotdogs, ham, sausages, and bacon are not easily cooked. They are linked with a higher risk of heart disease and cancer, therefore adding harmful PAHs and HCAs to the grilling of preserved, cured, or smoked meats increases the risk of damage.
Flames and Smokes are avoided
Keeping the food away from direct contact with flames is preferred. Allow the flames to settle before grilling. PAHs are formed when juice dripping from the food to be cooked and fat from smokes gets stuck to the food. Choose leaner proteins and trim much fat before cooking to reduce PAHs.
Avoid Charring
The cooking of protein foods until they are well cooked increases the time for the production of HCAs, however, it increases the browning of the food and the risk of getting the meal charred. Both increase the formation of PAHs. Allow flames to go out before you grill the meat. If the food gets charred, cut that portion off and discard it. You can also consider a faster cooking method stated earlier.
Avoid the fluids that are lighter
A charcoal grill takes more effort to start compared to grilling with gas. Using lighter fluids like briquettes to rapidly start a charcoal grill adds extra chemicals to the food. Instead, make use of a small amount of newspaper and coal. A quicker method is using a charcoal chimney. This is affordable.
Adina Healthy Village is inviting you to try one of their $5 grilled specials, such as Grilled Hibachi Shrimp and Grilled Salmon, cooked healthy.