Fearless Grill Firing for Dads
Key Takeaways:
- Avoid processed meats such as bacon, ham, salami, sausage, and hot dogs due to their link to an increased risk of colorectal cancer.
- Minimize the consumption of red meats and grill healthier options like fish or skinless chicken instead.
- Proper cooking is essential. Prevent charring or burning meats, apply oil on the grill, pre-cook food to reduce grilling time, and ensure regular cleaning of the grill post usage.
- Marinating meats in lemon juice, vinegar, and herbs can significantly reduce the formation of potentially harmful HCAs.
- Choose lean cuts of meat or trim off excess fat to limit exposure to carcinogenic PAHs. This can also be achieved by opting for a variety of grilled fruits and vegetables.
Dads worrying about sparking the barbecue this Father’s Day can be at ease, despite the cautionary research linking the consumption of red and processed meats to an increased risk of colon cancer, advise experts.
Specialists from a prominent Cancer Center in Texas reveal that minor modifications to people’s barbecuing habits and food choices could substantially decrease their cancer risk.
“The uplifting news is that individuals can actively minimize their risk of colorectal cancer,” stated Sally Scroggs, a health education manager at a leading Cancer Prevention Center. “Incorporating just a few alterations to your grilling routine can significantly contribute to prevention.”
She suggested the following recommendations for healthier grilling:
Avoid Processed Meats
Keep processed meats off the menu. Items like bacon, ham, salami, sausage, and hot dogs can raise a person’s risk for colorectal cancer. Carcinogenic substances form during the preservation of these meats which can negatively impact people’s DNA, states the American Institute for Cancer Research.
Reduce Red Meat Intake
Limited consumption of red meats, like steak or hamburgers, is essential. Overeating these can amplify the risk of cancer. Instead, prefer grilling fish or skinless chicken, and restrict your red meat intake to three six-ounce servings weekly.
Proper Cooking
Prevent charring or burning meats. High-temperature cooking leads to heterocyclic amines (HCAs) formation which is potentially harmful to a person’s genes and enhances the risk for stomach and colorectal cancers. A few effective strategies to reduce exposure to HCAs include the application of oil on the grill, pre-cooking food in an oven or microwave to cut down grilling time, lowering the grill temperature, and regularly cleaning the grill post usage.
Marinated Meats Advantage
Include marinated meats in your barbecue. Marinating meats in lemon juice, vinegar, and herbs like mint, tarragon, rosemary, or sage for a minimum of 30 minutes can lower the harmful HCA formation by up to 96 percent.
Choose Lean Cuts
Opt for lean cuts of meat or trim off the excess fat. This will limit exposure to carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that form in the smoke when fat drips on the grill.
Vegetarian Options
Serve a variety of fruits and vegetables. They can be grilled instead of or alongside meat, providing a vegetarian alternative for guests.
Although for some barbecue lovers, these alterations might need time to be adapted to,” commented Scroggs, “these updates to your grilling guidelines may allow you to continue enjoying summers filled with barbecuing for years to come.”
Additional Information
The American Cancer Society provides more help on healthy grilling.
