Maximizing the Healthy Benefits of Charcoal Grill Cooking

 

A business leader who holds a master of business administration degree from the University of Rochester and recently served 7 years as vice president of strategic initiatives with Synchrony Financial, Delaena Kalevor currently advises institutional investor clients as an independent consultant in Irvine, California. Outside of the professional environment, Delaena Kalevor is an avid charcoal grill cook.

When compared to other forms of cooking that flavor food by adding fat or allowing grease to pool, grilling is a relatively healthy option. However, grilling also presents significant health risks. For one thing, Americans tend to gravitate toward high-fat and high-calorie foods such as hamburgers and sausages when grilling. Charcoal grilling also releases the potentially cancer-causing compounds polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heterocyclic amines (HCAs), which collect on meat as it cooks.

To make charcoal grilling as healthy as possible, wise cooks will opt for fruit and vegetables while staying away from fatty meats. Not only are fruits and vegetables inherently healthier than meats, but they also don’t produce or collect PAHs and HCAs. When grilling meat, cooks can cut down on PAHs and HCAs by avoiding charring or removing charred sections. They can also reduce PAH and HCA levels by starting the cooking process in the microwave and grilling on tin foil to prevent dripping.