Healthy Summer Grilling

Memorial Day weekend is upon us, traffic is getting thicker, the weather is getting warmer, and most of us are dusting off our grills to prepare for backyard cookouts. Grilling to me is the quintessential way to cook during the summer months, everything from hamburgers and vegetable kebobs to fruits like pineapple and peaches. However, it is important to know the dangers of grilling and how to protect yourself this summer. When cooked at high temperatures meats produce compounds known as heterocyclic amines (HCAs), which are the same toxic carcinogens found in cigarette smoke. These compounds form when the amino acids and sugars found in meats are exposed to high grilling temperatures and flames. Pork produces the most HCAs next to beef than chicken. Vegetables and fruits do not have the same composition as meat and do not produce HCAs! However, it wouldn’t be summer without a grilled chicken breast, hamburger, or dare I say hot dog, so how can you reduce your exposure to these nasty HCAs?

First, how you prep the meat has a huge impact on the final product. Spices like turmeric, oregano, rosemary, and mint have been shown to reduce HCAs by 50% while commercial barbeque sauce tripled the number of HCAs formed! Additionally, letting meat sit in a container with chopped raw onions and garlic for four hours before browning reduces carcinogen production by 64%. My favorite turmeric ginger marinade recipe is from The Defined Dish and a recipe for beef balsamic rosemary marinade can be found below. Rule of thumb for meat prep, leave the sugar out! Added sugars under high heat add to the amounts of HCAs produced.

Second, how you cook the meat has an impact on HCA levels. The main goal is to reduce the amount of charring. Burnt areas on meat are pure carbon and mainly carcinogenic. Simply turning the meat often can lower charred areas as well as slicing off any black spots before eating.

Lastly, the quality of your food matters. When choosing, aim for grass-fed beef and organic free-range chicken. For sausage and hot dogs look for quality meat that is minimally processed with no nitrates, added sugars, or byproducts.

Balsamic Rosemary Marinade 

½ cup balsamic vinegar

¼ cup avocado oil

1 tsp salt

2 tsp ground pepper

2 drops doTERRA Rosemary essential oil

All doTERRA products are food grade essential oils that are suitable for consumption. Come by our office at 50 Station Road in Water Mill to explore the collection.

Nerurkar, P.V., Le Marchand, L., & Cooney, R. V. (1999). Effects of marinating with Asian marinades or western barbecue sauce on PhIP and MeIQx formation in barbecued beef. Nutrition and Cancer, 34(2). 147-152. DOI: 10.1207/S15327914NC3402.

Puangsombat, K., Gadgil, P., Houser, T. A., Hunt, M. C., & Smith, J. S. (2012). Occurrence of heterocyclic amines in cooked meat products. Meat Science, 90(3). 739-746. DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2011.11.005