7 Wonderful Health Benefits of Grilling Your Food

Last Updated on August 31, 2021

Health benefits of grilling! There’s more to grilling food than just owning a BBQ and a pair of tongs.

Is Grilling Healthy?

In a word Yes,

We will show you the health benefits of grilling as we go through this article.

Grilling takes away fat from your food and from your plate, allowing you to consume fewer calories.

A huge benefit if you’re trying to lose weight, stay healthy, or watching your figure.

Being outdoors, having fun, and entertaining friends, helps us slow down and also allows us time for conversation.

This brings a feeling of togetherness, in a relaxed atmosphere, and lifts the spirits. Friends get together around the grill, during holidays, birthday parties, or just for fun.

Whether it’s a large crowd or a one-person party, the grill has become an everyday need for healthier cooking.

In 2016, people spent a whopping 1.47 billion US dollars on grills and barbecues in the US.

Americans use their grills all throughout the year because they know that grilling food not only makes food tastier it’s also healthier.

Read on to discover the health benefits of grilling your food:

#1 – One of the Benefits of Grilling is Weight Loss

It‘s the best way to cook for weight loss without adding excess calories to your meal. Unlike other methods of cooking such as frying. It’s an excellent way to cook vegetables, fish, and veggie burgers.

When grilling, the fat melts and runs off the grill so there’s less danger of consuming unwanted fat. This is a huge reason that grilling is a healthier way to cook.

All that unwanted fat is just poured away so it has no chance of damaging your heart or blocking your arteries.

When using a frying pan, you have to add extra fat or oil to cook the meat, this fat pools around your meat and gets reabsorbed back into it, and ends up in your body. 

Although grilling doesn’t get rid of all the fat, it dramatically reduces your fat intake.

#2 – No Need For Condiments To Realize Health Benefits Of Grilling

When frying or boiling food, minerals, and vitamins contained in the food are lost.

Grilling keeps more of these in, making the food tastier.

The grill will lock in moisture so that you don’t need to add unnecessary condiments to get your desired flavor.

As a result, you cut down on calories and unhealthy food, which may lead to obesity.

#3 – Preserves Minerals & Vitamins

Vegetables used for grilling, that are fresh and in season, are healthier than frozen and canned ones.

You only have to place them on the grill, and you’re good to go.

Grilling is healthier because vegetables cook faster keeping in more nutrients to keep you healthy.

Don’t forget fish and fruit tastes great when grilled, place them straight on the grill, or loosely wrap them in foil. They are delicious.

Of course, grilling can be enjoyed inside the house too especially in the colder months.

A big part of grilling food correctly is, investing in the right equipment and utensils as well as knowing how to use them for maximum results, whether, in your kitchen or outside on your barbecue. 

#4 – Preserve Nutrients And Gain Health Benefits.

Grilling is a healthier way of cooking meat as it preserves the nutrients, thiamine (Vitamin B1) and riboflavin (Vitamin B2).

Thiamine, in the body, helps carbohydrates break down into energy and prevent certain diseases while Riboflavin helps with energy production.

Grilling keeps the vegetables and meat tender, as well as preserving their natural flavor.

#5 – Increased Physical Activity

Grilling can be a social event with your friends or family in your backyard.

Kids playing games, adults hanging out, socializing, drinking wine and beer, making it a far more relaxed and healthy way to enjoy your food. Everybody can join in and have fun.

If you have several grills, you can have a few people grill at the same time or even have a healthy grilling competition.

You could even ask your friends to bring their barbecue grills along. This gives everyone the chance to create memories or take part in outdoor activities.

#6 – Reduces Health Risks

Eating grilled foods means you get all the healthy nutrients and vitamins they provide.

It includes eating fruits, vegetables, and meat. This will keep you and your family healthier and fitter. 

It also helps reduce health risks, such as heart disease, stroke, obesity, high blood pressure, and even certain cancers.

Unlike pan-frying, grilled food is lower in excess fat and calories.

Even if you are cooking food with low-fat content, when you fry, the food gets saturated with fat.

When you grill, the meat cooks in its own fat. This means there is no need for more oil, condiments, or sauce resulting in fewer calories and reduced fat.

#7 – Low Sodium Intake – Are You In Control?

Do you know that you might be taking more sodium than your body needs?

This is because we take at least 70% of sodium from restaurants and packaged foods.

This makes it hard to control your sodium intake since it’s added before you buy the food.

When you prepare your food from scratch and cook by grilling, you can control the amount of sodium used.

Grilling brings out natural flavors, which reduces the need to use salt.

Tips to Further Improve the Benefits of Grilling

Now that we have answered the question many people ask, Is grilling healthy? with a resounding Yes.

Here are a few extra tips to help you gain even more health benefits from your food.

Research shows that grilling meats at high temperatures produce substances known as PAHs. (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) and HCAs. (heterocyclic amines). which may be cancer-causing. 

These pro tips will help you grill the perfect meal, like an expert:

Why Choose Lean Meats?

Grilling is also known as the lightest cooking method. To achieve this, you should select leaner meats.

So which cuts should you look for?

• Poultry: Skinless, ground turkey breast, white meat chicken, turkey
• Beef: sirloin, top loin, Flank steak, tenderloin, T-bone,
• Veal: Trimmed cut
• Pork: Pork tenderloin or chops
• Lamb: Look for “loin.”
• Game: Buffalo and rabbit
• Birds: ostrich, quail, and pheasant

The American Heart Association. (AHA) classifies most pork and beef cuts into saturated fat and low-in-fat.

So when you are shopping for your outdoor menu think about the benefits of grilling and why it’s so healthy and only buy lean or round and thin cuts of meat.

For beef, check the package for the 93/7 symbol, which means it only has 7% fat.

Use A Thermometer

You should always use a food thermometer when grilling.
It makes sure the food is then cooked to the proper internal temperature and gives you peace of mind.

Keep this in mind:

• For beef, lamb, veal, and pork, the grill has to be at a temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit
• Eggs and ground beef at 160 degrees Fahrenheit
• Poultry at 165 degrees Fahrenheit

Also, if you have lots of meat to grill, do it in batches, refrigerate the rest until you’re ready to cook.

Avoid charring food, especially meat by turning it often. Charring food can form chemical compounds that could be a health risk.

Tame the Flames To Increase The Benefits Of Grilling

Flare-ups occur when excess fat drips on your heat source, causing it to flame up. This may cause cancer-causing PAHs to form on your food.

Also, the meat may taste “off,” and the flames may burn the outer side of the food before cooking the inside.

To prevent flare-ups, buy lean meats, and remove poultry skin and excess fat. Also, have a bottle of water nearby to extinguish unexpected flames.

Use Marinades

Use spices, fresh herbs, or homemade marinades for flavoring instead of sauces and ketchup because marinades infuse your food with flavor when grilling red meat, poultry, and fish.

Reducing the formation of carcinogenic HCAs (heterocyclic amines)

 Food Hygiene And Safety

When preparing food for grilling, food safety should be your top priority and you should keep these tips in mind to avoid food poisoning: 

Avoid Cross-Contamination

This is done by separating raw food from cooked food when using cutting platters, utensils, and boards.

This also applies to meat and fish as well as fruit and vegetables.

Refrigerate marinated foods. 

You should cook one type of food at a time; washing utensils and cutting boards after every use.

Turning the food often helps to prevent it from burning.

Limit The Amount Of Beef

The National Cancer Institute in Maryland research in 2017 found that eating too much red meat increases your chances of medical problems.

These include cancer, stroke, diseases of the heart, liver, kidneys, and respiratory tract.

White meat, such as fish and poultry reduced the risks however you can opt for lean beef cuts if you can’t go without them.

This is not to scare you, but to let you know the dangers of red meat and helping you avoid any mishaps, therefore enjoy, and above all:

Have A Fun-Filled Grilling Experience

So, is grilling healthy?

Yes, and it’s not only one of the healthiest cooking methods because it also gives your meat, poultry, fish, tofu, or vegetables a distinct flavor.

If you have the right equipment and time then go out and buy high-quality ingredients like fresh and lean butchered meat, fish and freshly picked vegetables, and fruits then let your creativity run wild.

Do you like tailgating, camping, fishing, days out at the beach, then check out our researched small portable charcoal grill range of budget-friendly grills?

The aroma, flavor, and health benefits of grilling will change how you view food.

Why not browse other posts on our website helping you make the most of your outdoor enjoyment.

Learn about the different types of grills, fire pits, and much more, 

Thank you for taking the time to read our post. We appreciate it very much.

May you and your family enjoy many of the health benefits of grilling your food.

Happy Healthy Grilling to you and your family