Find out if grilled food is really that good or if there are pitfalls and how to make grilled food as tasty and safe as possible. Summer is the season for grilling, because it is at this time that many people often gather with friends and family in nature. Scientists have not yet come to a consensus on the benefits and harms of grilled dishes for the human body. Today we will talk about this topic and try to answer all your questions.
The benefits of grilled food
Let's start our conversation about the benefits and dangers of grilled food by looking at the positive qualities of this food. At the moment, there are three factors with a "plus" sign:
- Nutritionists say that short-term baking of foods, which is achieved through the use of the grill, is more beneficial for the body in comparison with fried foods. First of all, this concerns the removal of a large amount of fat, which leads to a decrease in the energy value of the finished dish. They contain less saturated fatty acids and lipoprotein compounds, the harm of which is known to many today.
- A short temperature exposure to food allows you to preserve the maximum amount of nutrients in them.
- Classic additions to grilled dishes also have a positive effect on our body. Surely you already understood that we are talking about various seasonings and salads with the addition of red wine or olive oil. These ingredients improve the functioning of the digestive system and also supply the body with a large amount of antioxidants.
The harm of grilled dishes
Let's move on to answering the second part of the question about the potential benefits and dangers of grilled dishes. We have also highlighted three negative points and we hasten to introduce you to them:
- Fatty meat (it is this product in most cases that turns out to be grilled) can cause an increase in body weight. Everyone knows that this increases the risks of developing ailments of the cardiovascular system. Animal fats contribute to the disruption of lipid metabolism.
- Fats released from meat during cooking form strong carcinogens such as acrylamide and benzopyrene. Combining with the smoke, they settle on the finished food.
- Uncooked meat can cause infection with various bacterial infections. This applies to all types of meat and care must be taken when grilling food.
How to make grilled food less harmful?
We will talk in more detail about the process of grilling food, but now we will just give tips on how to improve the quality of your dishes:
- For a fire, use charcoal as well as natural arson. It is not recommended to use softwood firewood, as it contains a large amount of resin.
- Start baking food at the moment when the charcoal turns into gray ash. Since the temperature in this situation will be relatively low, you will be able to avoid charring and digestion of food. But cooking over an open fire is definitely not worth it.
- By using aluminum trays, you keep grease out of the hot coals and thus prevent the formation of carcinogenic compounds.
- Do not grill frozen food.
- Thin pieces should be handled to prevent undercooking.
- Before cooking, meat and fish should be marinated. As a result, it will not only become more juicy and tasty, but it will also take less time to prepare the dish, and the body will quickly assimilate such food.
- To add flavor and aroma to your dishes, use a variety of herbs such as basil, sage, thyme, mint, rosemary, etc.
- Choose lean meats, or better yet, cook poultry.
- Fish is an excellent product for grilling.
- Grilled vegetables continue to provide many nutrients.
- So that grilled dishes are beneficial, not harmful, take care of preparing salads in advance. They will make your meal easier and healthier.
- Use red wine instead of high-calorie beer. Dry and semi-dry alcoholic beverages can improve digestion processes.
- The grate should be thoroughly cleaned after every barbecue.
We are sure that with any answer to the question about the benefits and dangers of grilled dishes, there is no point in completely abandoning summer picnics. With the right information, you can enjoy spending your free time with your friends without harming your body.
How to properly grill food?
Many people are looking forward to summer not only because of the beginning of the holiday season. As soon as the air temperature rises to 20 degrees and above, it becomes possible to go out into nature to eat barbecue. Among all the methods of cooking known to mankind, the most ancient is burning at the stake. Our ancestors constantly improved it. Now we will tell you how to properly cook grilled dishes in order to get only benefit from their use, not harm.
In fact, this method of cooking has not undergone major changes over the centuries. Modern man has just got new equipment. Surely no one can resist fragrant kebabs, unless he adheres to a vegetarian diet. We have already talked about the benefits and dangers of grilled dishes, now it's time to consider the rules for cooking in this way.
Grill types
People have not cooked food on a fire for a long time, because there are many devices that allow you to quickly cook food on the grill. First of all, you should pay attention to the choice of racks. Most fans of the grill are sensitive to the choice of the material of the stand, because the taste of the finished dish largely depends on this. It is best to use racks. Made of stainless steel, without any coatings or varnishes.
It may also be important to have a height adjustment mechanism, as well as protection against gusts of wind. This will limit the access of air to fat and thereby minimize the amount of carcinogens formed. Horizontal bar racks can be provided with protective aluminum foil.
The next important issue is the choice of coal. It is best to use beech charcoal for this. Again, back to the possible burning of fat, and to suppress this process, the products must be pre-marinated. To avoid getting fat on hot coals. You can use special trays or plain foil.
It is quite obvious that grilling coals cannot be used in an apartment. This not only can lead to a fire, but also makes neighbors nervous. If you want to pamper yourself with a grill at home without going to the countryside, use gas or electric devices. Thanks to them, it is possible to avoid the formation of carcinogenic compounds, since contact between fat and coals is excluded.
During grilling, various spices, extracts, syrups, etc. are important. By properly distributing the oil on the surface of the processed product, you can protect it from burning. If you add spices to the oil, then the taste of the dish can be great. We have already said that red wine should be preferred over beer at a picnic. However, this frothy drink can be used as a marinade and will produce a thin crunchy crust.
We recommend keeping the products in the marinade for at least one, and preferably two hours. If you are preparing to bake poultry meat, then you can soak it in a mixture of oil, red wine, pepper and marjoram. For lamb, a combination of garlic, black tea, pepper and rosemary is perfect. Salt should be added to food during the final cooking phase.
Grilled dishes will get the most exquisite taste when served with seasoned sauces. You can buy them at the supermarket or make your own. It is very important that the spices used are not mutually exclusive. Vegetable salads will be an excellent side dish for grilled meat. You can also use rice, boiled potatoes, legumes, etc. Unleash your culinary imagination and surprise your family and friends.
What dangers can grill lovers face?
One of the most famous experts in the field of nutrition, Elizabeth Schaub is confident that the frequent use of grilled dishes can lead to the development of cancer. It's all about the carcinogenic things we mentioned above, which are formed at the time of burning fat. She also notes that this statement is true only for meat. If you grill vegetables, you will not only enjoy your food, but also improve your health.
Grilled vegetable products have a minimum energy value and are completely safe for the body. The only important point in this situation is the correct lighting of the fire. Do not use various flammable liquids for this, as well as paper with inscriptions. Printing ink emits a large amount of toxic substances during combustion.
Safety when using the grill must be said separately. According to statistical information, in Germany every year about four thousand people are injured of varying degrees of severity while cooking on the grill. Never let children get close to the fire.
The uprights must be installed correctly to ensure maximum stability of the entire structure. If you need to extinguish a flame, then this should be done with sand, not water. When you get a burn, it must be quickly poured with cold water and, as soon as possible, contact a specialist for further therapy. Modern grills are designed in such a way that a person does not have to worry about the quality of ready meals. This is especially true for electrical and infrared devices. They allow you to avoid the processes of formation of carcinogenic compounds, which we often remembered today. Nutritionists say that properly grilled food can be beneficial even for people with digestive problems.
Today we have shared with you the secrets of cooking healthy food. We hope you find them valuable and continue to enjoy the flavor of the grilled food. In conclusion, we recall once again the importance of observing safety rules when working with a grill.
Yuri Spasokukotsky tells more about the benefits and dangers of grilled food in the following video:
