Summer Grillin’ can be Heart Healthy
By: Adela Lilollari
As summer comes with full force, so do the opportunities to grill and enjoy delicious food with the family. These fun times shouldn’t have to be a guilty pleasure. Follow these simple tips from the American Heart Association to keep barbecues healthy:
Meat, Poultry and Fish
- Try grilling fish more often (salmon, trout, and herring are the healthiest choices).
- Buy chicken breasts instead of the fattier dark meat (legs and thighs), and remove the skin before eating.
- Choose loin, round, or sirloin cuts of red meat and pork. Buy “choice” or “select” grades of beef instead of “prime” (they have the least amount of fat).
- Also trim off as much fat as you can before grilling.
- Use a rack so the fat drips away from the food.
When possible, try to avoid red meats (beef, pork and lamb), which have more cholesterol and saturated fat than chicken, fish and vegetable proteins such as beans. Cholesterol and saturated fat can raise your blood cholesterol and make heart disease worse.
Side Dishes, Drinks and Desserts
- Serve green leafy salads or fruit salads instead of mayonnaise-based salads. Try toasted walnuts or almonds instead of croutons to add some crunch.
- Instead of potato chips, serve raw veggies like cucumber, carrot and celery sticks, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, and cauliflower with a low-fat dip.
- Drink water or diet soda instead of regular sodas.
- Cut back on commercially baked foods (cookies, pies, cakes) that are usually made with egg yolks, butter or shortening and other ingredients that are high in saturated fat/trans fat. For dessert, try smoothies or fat-free vanilla or lemon yogurt.
- Try grilling fruits like pineapple slices, nectarines, peaches or plums; the natural sugars caramelize with the heat to give them a great flavor.
Oils, Dressings, Seasoning and More
- Use reduced-fat, low-fat or no-fat dressings on salads, for dips, or as marinades.
- Cut back on salty seasonings and condiments like teriyaki, soy and barbecue sauces.
- Choose low-fat, reduced-fat, or fat-free cheese for your sandwiches and hamburgers.
- Choose whole-grain, high-fiber breads and rolls (whole wheat, oats, oatmeal, whole rye, wholegrain corn and buckwheat).
Simple and Healthy Recipes
- Better burger: Add finely chopped green pepper to your beef to get in some veggies and extra flavor.
- Baked fries: Slice white or sweet potatoes into sticks, lightly spray with olive oil cooking spray, sprinkle with pepper and paprika, and bake on a cookie sheet for 40 minutes at 375 degrees.
- Veggie kabobs: Load up skewers with mushrooms, peppers, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash or other veggies. Spray lightly with olive oil cooking spray and grill until slightly blackened.
- Grilled corn on the cob: Leave the husks on, grill for about 30 minutes over medium flame, rotating occasionally. Remove from grill, let cool for about 5 minutes, remove husks and enjoy!
- Fruit pops: Mash up fruit like peaches, grapes, berries or watermelon and put them in paper cups, insert a Popsicle stick, freeze overnight.
- Fruit smoothies: Blend your favorite fresh fruits with fat-free or low-fat yogurt and ice for a refreshing drink or freeze and eat with a spoon like frozen ice chill.
Source: American Heart Association Tampa Bay
