Barbecuing is actually a lot of fun – it’s a time to spend quality time with family and friends while enjoying delicious food fresh from the grill. But the best part is that eating grilled food is actually good for your health!
Cooking food on the grill is much healthier compared to food cooked using the oven or stove. Find out why – here are the top 5 health benefits of grilling your food:
Vegetables retain more vitamins and minerals
Vegetables, especially those with a low water content, retain more vitamins and minerals when cooked over a fire on the grill. Also, while grilling, the vegetables you’re cooking will usually be fresh and in season, which is better than the canned variety.
Just be sure to wrap the product in foil or use a wire rack so that it stays moist and does not burn to a crisp, and dry it out.
Meat retains more nutrients
Just like fresh produce, any kind of meat cooked over hot coals also retains most of its moisture and nutrients. Fire-cooked meat helps maintain its riboflavin and thiamine content, both of which play an essential role in a healthy diet.
You are using less oil or butter
In frying or oven cooking, we use oil or butter to help keep food moist while it’s exposed to heat. And since food cooked with a grill traps in more moisture, you are less likely to add oil or use butter and other seasonings to cook your food. This not only means that you reduce the number of calories in the dish but also you put less unhealthy things into your body.
You consume less fat
Think of cooking a fatty piece of meat—one on the grill and one on the skillet. Excess fat drips off the grates when grilling, but in the pan, the fat has nowhere to go and is eventually absorbed by the meat.
You get fresh air
Everyone knows that getting sunshine and fresh air has a lot of benefits for the body. Simply spending time outside, even just in your own backyard, will do you good. The fact that you’re outside, especially with friends or family, encourages physical activity—lots of parents are tossing a ball or playing games with their kids while the grill is working.
Consider these top 5 health benefits of grilling the next time you can’t decide what to cook for dinner!