Memorial Day weekend will soon be upon us. Millions of Americans will hang their flags and clean up their grills for celebrations with family and friends. As long as you choose lean meats, grilling is a healthy choice, right?
If you are concerned about fighting high cholesterol or heart disease, that may be true; however, if you are trying to lower your cancer risk, you may want to rethink how you grill.
According to experts at the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), grilled meats expose us to two types of cancer causing chemicals – heterocyclic aromatic amines (HCAs) that develop in meats during high temperature cooking (such as grilling), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that form when fat from meats drips onto hot coals.
The Department of Health and Human Services lists four different HCAs and five different PAHs as “reasonably expected to cause cancer in humans” and theFood, Nutrition and the Prevention of Cancer: A Global Perspective, reports that “diets high in meat cooked at high temperatures [during grilling] possibly increase the risk of stomach and colorectal cancers.”
Although this information can be alarming, don’t go throw away your grill so fast. Four factors affect chemical formation: type of food, cooking method, temperature and the cooking time, so take these steps to reduce your risk if you enjoy grilling:
1. Choose grilled meats less often. Moderation is key. Don’t eat grilled meats on a daily basis.
2. Use your grill for veggies. Preparing low-protein, low-fat veggies on the grill should not create as much cause for concern — plus, they are loaded with anti-cancer phytochemicals!
3. Pre-cook meats by boiling in water first, then grill for flavor. Not only does this shorten your grill time, but may also keep the meat from drying out.
4. Avoid charring. Cut off any blackened pieces before eating.
5. Add a marinade meats or oregano before grilling. Marinades and oregano may reduce the amount of chemicals formed during cooking.
6. Trim the fat or choose lean meats. Less fat equals less dripping onto hot coals, and less PAHs produced.
7. Serve kabobs. Small pieces of meat cook quickly reducing exposure.
8. Try grilling meat alternatives. A veggie burger or thick portabello mushroom can be a great substitute for meat.
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