Is Grilled Food Healthy?

For those that eat out a lot there is the question of is grilled food healthy, especially for those that frequent the buffets that feature Mongolian barbecue. This is a conditional “yes”, especially for vegans. Various foods do better on various cooking methods, and some even do well being frozen, but grilling seems to have a wide variety of different effects depending on the food itself. All this is that a person looking at enjoying a healthy barbecue needs to do some planning ahead of time, and to make allowances for the food that is going to be consumed. Grilled food can be healthy, especially for those that know how to grill.

Grilling vegetables make things much more interesting because of how fragile vegetables are. Obviously green, leafy vegetables are the problem here, as they lose nutrients the longer they are cooked, and even a prolonged steaming can result in a lot of nutrients. However, crunchy vegetables actually become easier to eat the more that they are cooked as the heat helps to break them down and make them easier to chew and therefore enable more of their nutrients to be processed. There are even some vegetables, such as taro, that require some cooking in order to make them even edible.

Healthy Grilling Effects On Vitamins

Water-soluble vitamins can benefit from grilling as well, if prepared correctly: Wrapped in foil with a little water thrown in, they can give up more of their precious nutrients when grilled. If you use a flat grill, they can be prepared right on the grill and then incorporated into the meal. Then there are lycopene-carrying fruits and vegetables, such as tomatoes. Grilling can actually open up reserves of lycopene in them; a grilled tomato has up to four times as much lycopene as a raw tomato. Grilling actually helps these foods unlock their potential.

What About Grilling Meats?

Meats are an obvious issue. Cooked meats are almost always healthier than raw meats, but that is because there are so many potential diseases that are spread by ill-prepared meats. Also, any meat that has spent any time at room temperature is a natural breeding ground for airborne diseases; grilling helps to kill those diseases, even if just cooked to just above rare. Also, a good sear helps to lock in juices making it not just taste better but also making sure that nutrients are retained rather than last. In short grilled meats are generally not just healthy for you but also make sure that you grab as many nutrients as possible.

Of course, some care has to be taken when grilling meats. There will be some temptation to use sauces especially barbecue sauces; in general these should be avoided if at all possible because they tend to add unnecessary sugars and oils to the food. Chicken is better without a skin given the concentration of fats there; while you may be tempted to take advantage of the added crunch of the skin, you definitely do not need the fats it brings. Remove as much fat from beef as possible for the same reason. While pork itself is a great meat, avoid sausages and wieners as they are mostly fat and other by-products.

Healthy Grilled Food

In short, those asking themselves if grilled food is healthy will be overjoyed to learn that eating foods raw is not always the best way to eat their foods and can actually sometimes be the least effective way to get the most nutrients from their foods. Not only does it kill any diseases that may have been introduced to the foods but can also be used to enhance the nutritional value of a lot of foods. This means that it is possible to sit back and enjoy oneself at a barbecue, especially if you are worried about your diet.

Ready to start grilling?  Take a look at these recommendations on the best gas grills under 300.

The post Is Grilled Food Healthy? appeared first on Healthy Orbit.