It's the need of the hour, for everyone to be health-conscious. But just joining a gym and taking protein shakes won't make your tummy as flat as the Columbia plateau. You also need to rearrange your whole diet plan. In simple words, you need to eat a healthy diet that is low in fat but high in nutrients. And, the only way to do that is by having Grilled food. Think Grilled Chicken Drumsticks or Grilled Buffalo Chicken Wraps or Grilled Chimichurri Chicken and more!
Health benefits of grilled food
Unfortunately, healthy food always doesn't translate to tasty food. There's only so long until your taste buds start to get tired of boiled chicken and salads. But we have good news for you! There is a way of cooking that is both healthy and delicious! So no more boiling your chicken or settling for a plate of green salad! Let us instead introduce you to the wonders of grilling!
What is grilling all about?
All Americans have grown up having barbeque parties in their backyards. The memory of our dads grilling hot dogs on their treasured grill still invokes a sense of nostalgia in us. And if you never asked how your dad was so good at the grill, we'll tell you how to get started on it!
Grilling in scientific terms can be described as a method of cooking that uses fast and dry heat. Grilling uses thermal radiation and not conduction heating as conventional cooking does. This is a fast method of cooking with temperatures that can exceed 155°C. So you better watch your grill while making those hot dogs! But besides this small disadvantage, grilling has a lot of advantages to its resume. Do you recall why grilled hot dogs are so vastly superior to boiled ones? That's because, besides the beautiful crispiness on the skin, your grill would also brown the proteins and sugars in your hot dog or really anything you make on your grill. This is because of the Maillard reaction and is only possible on a grill.
Another thing to know about grilling is what you can actually cook by grilling. Meats that require a long time to cook are not suitable for grilling as it's a fast heating method of cooking. Instead, food items that can be cooked quickly are perfect to go on the grill, like: (1) hot dogs & sausages; (2) fish, shrimp & oysters; (3) hamburgers; (4) steak; (5) boneless chicken, turkey or duck.
So now that you know about the basics of the grill, how do you go about making your own grill? For that, you need a few basic items like an open wire grid and a fire below it. We recommend charcoal to build the fire. Or you can always get your own grill equipment from the market. The rest depends on how much you practice on the grill. So buy plenty of meat and veggies for your grill and start practicing to get perfect!
Want to burn off fat? Take up grilling!
You must have noticed that despite your membership to the fanciest gym your weight has stayed the same as ever. You have even taken up all the protein shakes and your muscle mass is still on the wimpy side. The answer to this is one word: fat.
Even if you avoid all the junk and fast food, there's no escaping "fat". Even home cooking requires the use of a healthy amount of fat in the form of butter or oil. Even when you make your steak in the skimpiest amount of butter, the meat will ooze out so much fat in the pan that it will make up for it. There is no escaping fat if you cook on the pan.
But what if there was a method of cooking that can actually burn off the fat from your food? Look no further, because your trusty grill has got you! Your grill burns so hot that there's no chance of any fat being left behind! You don't even need to use spoonfuls of butter to make your steak. Just a light sheen of butter on your steak and the grill will do the rest of the magic. Any excess fat won't get collected on your plate either. It will instead just drip off on the wire grid of the grill.
Your grill makes vegetables actually healthy
Many of us feel smug with our plate of stir-fried vegetables, thinking we are eating healthy. Wrong! Besides the fact that you probably used quite a bit of oil to cook your vegetables, there is also not many nutrients left in them by the time they get on your plate. That's right, vegetables lose their nutrients like vitamins and minerals if cooked on a pan. We are not even taking into account that many people use canned vegetables instead of fresh ones when it comes to cooking.
If you use a grill instead, you'll not only be forced to use only fresh vegetables, but they'll also retain more nutrients. This is especially true for low moisture vegetables like zucchini. The fast and dry heat of the grill helps the vegetables keep their moisture along with all the vitamins and minerals.
Meat is healthier on the grill too!
Most people think meat is just fats and proteins. But it also contains riboflavin and thiamine. We'll not bore you with biology talk but these two nutrients play an important role in our metabolism of energy and prevent developmental problems. Unfortunately, these two nutrients will get lost if you cook meat on a pan. But no worries! Just get a grill and you would be able to retain all the nutrients of the meat and also lose all the useless fat from it. You also don't need to use a lot of butter to make your steak when cooking on a grill. A light coat of butter is just about enough to bring the best out of your steak on a grill. The same goes for vegetables. A brush of olive oil and you would have a delicious plate of grilled vegetables on your plate. Enjoy with a crack of salt and pepper.
Tips for healthy grilling
The fact that you're using a grill to make food already makes it ten times healthier than any average food. But we have some extra pointers for you that will make your grilling experience not only more healthy but also keep it delicious just like the usual.
- Use lean cuts of meat for your grill. They have a low-fat content. And since your grill will make sure the moisture stays in, you won't get dry chicken breast on your plate either.
- Make sure to include vegetables in your grilling day. Vegetables like zucchini, sweet corn, bell peppers are ideal choices for the grill. Or you can get fancy and make vegetarian kebabs on your grill.
- Using gas instead of charcoal in grilling is a much cleaner way to cook. It will also keep you clear from the harmful smoke from charcoal, which is known to contain cancer-causing carcinogens.
- Don't just settle for cheeseburgers on your grill. There are so many better and healthier options to consider. Go ahead and try making a whole wheat pizza on your grill!
Many people consider grilling an expensive method of cooking. But in reality, it can save you many future medical bills with all the health benefits it comes with. And with today's innovations, you can even get an indoor-friendly grill! Don't let the lack of a backyard stop you from adding grilling as a part of your daily cooking!
Whether it's a full party or a private meal just for one, grilling can be a perfect option for you. Besides being healthy it's also a fun option for any evening. You don't even need to be a professional chef to be the master of your grill. All you need is practice and the right ingredients for your grill. But the best part about grilling? Thanks to fast cooking on the grill, you don't need to wait long!
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