Grilling is actually an extremely figure-friendly and healthy cooking method. As the grilled food only has to lie on the wire rack for a short time until it is well done, many nutrients are retained. Much more than when cooking, roasting or braising. In addition, little or no additional fat is required on the Grills and smokers which is another health plus point.
Grills and smokers: Lean meat
For those who simply want meat for grilling, they should use lean meat such as poultry or lean beef. Here you have two advantages. You not only consume less fat with lean meat but there is also little or no dripping into the embers.
Marinated Grills and smokers – if so, then homemade
Many marinades mask the actual taste of the meat and that’s a shame. In addition, the sugar content in marinated meat should not be underestimated and usually contain a significant amount of additional fats or too much salt. It is, therefore, best not to use pre-marinated meat and marinate your meat yourself. This way you know what’s in the marinade and can avoid hidden fats and the like.
Healthy grilling through proper grilling
It’s not just too much calorie intake that can be harmful to grilling. The cooking method, as good as it is, can lead to considerable damage to health if it is constantly used incorrectly. The main reasons for the increased health risk are three carcinogenic substances that can easily be produced if the grill is used incorrectly.
If the meat lies on the wire rack for too long, a black crust quickly forms. Many grill fans like the distinct taste of roasted aromas but dark areas are anything but harmless. HCA (heterocyclic amines) are formed in these areas, which can have a significant impact on health.
It can also be dangerous if fat or marinade drips into the embers while grilling. The resulting bluish smoke contains PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), which are absorbed into the body through inhalation and the consumption of the food to be grilled. Burned spots also have a particularly high content of these hydrocarbons.
Also, cured dishes such as smoked pork or Viennese sausages should not end up on your grill. Because at temperatures of over 150 ° C, harmful nitrosamines are formed through the interaction of the nitrite of the curing salt and the proteins in the meat.