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Grilling Healthy Meals

Healthy meals sizzle with flavor...when cooked on the grill!

As spring settles in, Americans rely on backyard barbeques for meal preparation—and for good reason.  Grilling adds sizzle to healthful eating and is a fun way to enjoy a variety of foods.  Preparing foods on the grill enhances the flavors of garden-fresh produce, as well as the savory taste of lean meat, poultry, and fish.

Preparing lean meat is a breeze on the barbecue.

A low-fat cooking method like grilling (or broiling when you need to take a rain check) is an easy way to trim fat.  Lean meats stay lean since, unlike frying, grilling allows fat to drip away as meat cooks.  To help keep your outdoor options lean:

Start off lean.  Pork loin chops and tenderloin, skinless chicken breasts, lean cuts of beef, and fish are good choices for the grill.  When buying any lean cuts of meat, look for the words “loin” or “round” in the name, such as pork tenderloin or beef eye of round.

Trim the fat.  Trimming or removing visible fat prior to cooking reduces total fat per serving by nearly 50 percent.

Develop an eye for size.  Portion control is just as important as buying and preparing lean meat.  A cooked, trimmed 3-ounce serving of meat, fish, or poultry is about the size of a deck of cards.

Rub it on.  Try experimenting with rubs and marinades.  Rubs are blends of dried herbs and spices that flavor the exterior of meat as it cooks.  Marinades, made with herbs, spices, and an acidic liquid like wine vinegar or lemon juice, enhance the flavor of meats.

Grab-and-go grilling

Summer produce offers bold flavors and colors to meals and is perfect for grilling.  Season chopped vegetables, such as zucchini, colorful bell peppers, and eggplant with basil, parsley, onion, and garlic.  Wrap veggies in foil coated with cooking spray and grill for 10 to 15 minutes.  Balance your grilled meal by serving refreshing low-fat frozen yogurt with grilled apple, peach, or pear halves.

Secrets for superior sizzle

Barbecuing is simple if you know your way around the grill.  Here are some basic tips for grilling perfect meals:

Patience pays.  Start grilling when coals are ash-colored and glowing.  For gas and electric grills, ignite and cover for 5 to 10 minutes before grilling.

Cook it right.  Small cuts of meat, such as thin pork chops (3/4 inch thick) and tenderloin, and cubed meat for kabobs should be cooked directly over the heat source and turned as needed for even cooking.  A one-pound pork tenderloin is done in about 20 minutes (when the temperature reaches 155°F).  Let stand 5 minutes before carving; temperature will rise to 160°F. 

Thick chops and larger cuts, like loin roasts, should be cooked over indirect heat.  By banking coals around the edge of the fire grate and centering a drip pan in the middle, you can create an indirect source of heat.  Simply place the meat on the grill over the pan, cover, and roast.

Lean meals in minutes.  Most foods cook fast on the grill.  But don’t overcook or foods will be dry and tough.  Burgers made with lean meat or turkey are done in about 10 minutes, or when their juices run clear.  Pork chops, chicken breasts, and fish steaks are ready in less than 15 minutes.  Just remember, when meat and poultry juices run clear or when fish flakes easily, it’s done.  For a moist, juicy chop, look for a hint of pink in the center.  A meat thermometer will register 160°F and the meat will give slightly when touched with tongs.

From the American Dietetic Association and the National Pork Producers Council