Making Outdoor Grilling Healthier

How to bring Healthy Cooking to your outdoor events

As you fire up your outdoor grill for a full summer of your favorite backyard BBQ, the last thing you’re probably thinking about is how to cook healthier. However, healthy cooking is easy outdoors with George Foreman Grills. With an outdoor George Foreman grill, you can bring the healthy cooking advantages that you have on your kitchen counter to all of your outdoor events. Plus, in doing so, you can help avoid some of the health risks associated with outdoor grilling, in general.

So how do you make outdoor grilling healthier?

First, get the George Foreman outdoor grill that best suits your lifestyle. If you cook outdoors primarily around the home – particularly in an apartment or condo – then one of our electric indoor-outdoor grills (GGR50 or GGR200) is perfect. They feature George Tough™ nonstick coating so you can cook oil-free, plus the same deep ribs found on our indoor grill plates so food doesn’t sit directly on top of any fat or grease as it cooks. If you do a lot of cooking away from the home for vacations, camping or road trips, then consider a George2Go™ Propane Grill (GP200). It also features our George Tough™ nonstick coating, plus an adjustable slope so fat and grease can drain away automatically into the integrated drip tray.

Another great thing about outdoor grilling on a George Foreman grill is that you’re cooking over a controlled heat source. This means that the heavy-duty cooking plate is helping maintain a more constant temperature at a high (but not too high) degree. The benefit of this is that it helps avoid some of the risks associated with outdoor grilling.

According to Colleen Doyle, M.S. R.D. of the American Cancer Association, “Cooking meats at high temperatures creates chemicals that may increase a risk of cancer.”* With an open heat source grill, the risk of reaching temperatures associated with this chemical release is harder to regulate – i.e. it’s hard to tell your wood or coal fire not to get too hot. However, any George Foreman grill – even our outdoor propane model –has a thick cooking plate between your food and the heat source. This plate ensures even heat and maintains a more constant temperature well within a safe cooking range.

Besides the temperature, Doyle goes on to say, “Also, there is some concern that fats from the meat dripping onto the coals creates additional chemicals in smoke that may land back on the meat.”* In this light with even more risk involved, you’re simply better off using a grill with a plate, rather than one that puts the food directly over the heat. Then, you simply want to avoid burning or over-charring your food (which you would want to do anyways) plus remembering to always follow portion control rules to ensure you’re not eating too much.

In addition, you can also take a few steps to make your backyard BBQ menu plans a little healthier, too. Although meat may be the king of the outdoor grilling experience, incorporating vegetables and even fruits into your menu can be both healthy and refreshing on those hot summer days. Not only are they a fresh, light addition to any menu so you’re not weighed down on a sweltering day, but according to Discovery Health, “Many of the chemicals created when meat is grilled are not formed during the grilling of vegetables or fruits, so people can enjoy grilled flavor without unhealthful chemicals.”**

With just a few simple adjustments to your next backyard BBQ or outdoor party, you can bring Healthy Cooking outdoors and have your favorite summer events just a little healthier.

^{http://www.cancer.org/docroot/NWS/content/NWS_1_1x_ACS_Expert_Offers_Tips_on_Healthy_Holiday_Grilling.asp
** http://health.discovery.com/centers/cancer/top10myths/myth2.html}