Humans have been cooking food over an open flame for hundreds of thousands of years. These days you can grill your food over flame or over coals, and it's still one of the most effective ways to seal in moisture and flavor without adding fat. While grilling is in some ways a very healthy cooking method, some concerns have arisen about its health effects. If you choose to grill your food, be smart about how you do it.
Grilling to Reduce Fat
Compared to frying food, grilling is a much healthier option because you can grill foods without adding oil or fat to them. When you fry food, it adds as many as 100 fat calories for each tablespoon of added oil. Considering you should only be getting 400 to 700 fat calories a day, that's a significant addition. Cooking meat and vegetables on a grill doesn't just reduce the amount of fat you are adding; it also lets much of the food's existing fat melt and drip away.
Cancer Risk
According to the National Cancer Institute, grilling food may potentially introduce a risk for cancer. When you grill meat such as beef, pork, fish or poultry over an open flame, it causes chemicals called heterocyclic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to form. These compounds have been shown to affect DNA in a way that might cause cancer. More research is needed, but if this theory is proven, it will mean that grilling meat at very high temperatures can be dangerous to your health.
Healthy Grilling Recommendations
Grilling vegetables and fruits is safe and can bring out natural flavors. Use herbs and spices to season your vegetables instead of adding butter or oil.
If you're grilling meat, trim off the fat before cooking. Marinate it to add flavor and moisture, then cook meat at a lower temperature for a longer time. Make kabobs or pre-cook meat in the microwave to reduce its exposure to high grilling temperatures.
If you're ordering grilled foods in a restaurant, request that they be prepared without added fat and salt.
Healthy Alternatives
Grilling is healthy overall, but if you're worried about cancer risks, many other cooking methods can be effective substitutes. Roasting meat and vegetables in the oven leaves them relatively moist and lets fat drip away. Stir-frying can be an effective way to add flavor without overcooking, while braising cooks meat without drying it.
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