Many people, as they head into the warm days of summer, love the taste and convenience of throwing a few burgers, steaks or chicken breasts on the barbecue. However, this summertime tradition may come at a cost to your health.
| Marinate before cooking. This is one of the most effective ways to reduce the formation of cancer-causing compounds (in some cases by more than 90 per cent). Which marinade ingredients offer the best protection? Research in this area is preliminary, but it appears that ingredients such as vinegar, citrus juice, herbs, spices, garlic and olive oil may help reduce HCA formation. |
| Use lean meat and trim the fat to reduce the chance of fat dripping onto the coals and creating flare-ups. |
| If cooking chicken or fish, consider leaving the skin on while cooking. Then discard the skin along with many of the cancer-causing compounds before eating. Keep in mind, however, that chicken skin is especially fatty and can result in fat dripping onto hot coals and forming cancer-causing compounds. Try to avoid cooking other items on the grill at the same time to reduce their exposure to the compounds. |
| Precook meats in the oven or microwave, then grill them briefly for flavour. |
| Keep meat portions small so that cooking time is shorter. For example, cook kebabs instead of a large cut of steak. |
| Keep flipping. Recent research has found that cooking hamburger patties at a lower temperature and turning them often (flipping every minute, rather than turning just once during cooking) accelerates the cooking process, helps to prevent the formation of HCAs and is effective at killing bacteria. |
| Remove all charred or burnt portions of food before eating. |
| Grill vegetables, fruit or soy burgers instead of meat, poultry or fish. In addition to their other health benefits, vegetables don't form cancer-causing compounds when they're cooked at high temperatures. |
| Enjoy lots of healthy food, including vegetables, fruit, whole grains and even green or black tea along with your grilled meat, fish or poultry. Foods that are rich in antioxidants or that are high in fibre appear to either suppress cancer-causing compounds, such as HCAs, or bind with these compounds so that they are not absorbed by the body. |
Liz Pearson is a registered dietitian, professional speaker and co-author of The Ultimate Healthy Eating Plan (That Still Leaves Room for Chocolate) (Whitecap).
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