健康烧烤季的5个步骤

The smells of summer have returned: sunscreen, freshly cut grass and burgers sizzling on the grill.

对许多家庭来说，后院烧烤是夏季用餐的主要内容. But often the foods people associate with summer grilling – including ribs, 香肠, hot dogs and hamburgers – are processed or high in saturated fat and sodium, 哪些因素会导致心脏健康风险. And studies show cooking meat at high temperatures can cause harmful chemical reactions that raise the risk for heart disease, 糖尿病和癌症.

好消息是，你不需要关闭烧烤的盖子. Food experts say there are steps outdoor chefs can take to make backyard barbecues healthier, 同时还充满了味道.

1. 选择更健康的蛋白质

People often choose fatty meats and grill them for prolonged periods of time, 佩妮·克里斯-埃瑟顿说, Evan Pugh University professor of nutritional sciences at Penn State University in University Park, 宾西法尼亚. "What we'd really like people to do is choose healthier meats, like chicken and fish."

但她说，如果一定要吃牛肉，那就吃瘦牛肉.

2. 预煮或切肉

The harmful chemicals associated with cancers and cardiovascular disease accumulate the longer fatty muscle meat – beef, pork, 鱼或家禽-是煮熟或温度较高, 从300或350度开始.

Cutting leaner meat into smaller pieces that cook faster can lower some of those risks, 稍微说. “要么提前把肉煮熟，这样就不会烤得太久, 把温度调低, 或者把它切成小块. 加一些蔬菜，做烤肉串."

Removing or avoiding charred edges and minimizing fat dripping onto the heat source, 这会增加有害化学物质, 也能帮上忙.

3. 加点调料

Adding pepper and other spices to meat before grilling it may greatly reduce harmful chemical reactions, 根据 未发表的研究 由J领导. Scott Smith, a professor of food science at Kansas State University in Manhattan. (The findings are considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.)

You need about a teaspoon of pepper or other spices for a quarter-pound burger, 他说. 把香料混合到汉堡里就好了, 只要把它们放到肉的表面就行了. "That's good enough, because all of this occurs on the surface," 他说. "The chemical reactions are from high heat, which doesn't get into the interior of the meat."

Smith's research shows that using marinades containing herbs that are members of the mint family, 比如罗勒, sage, thyme, 迷迭香, 牛至和马郁兰, 和黑胡椒一样有效吗. Antioxidants in seasonings such as garlic and paprika also help block the formation of chemical compounds, 他说.

If you're mixing spices into a marinade, coating the surface of the meat is sufficient, Smith said.

其他研究表明 a wide range of spices and herbs that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects may help lower the risk for cardiovascular disease. 稍微说 using marinades or dry rubs that contain spices also reduces the need for salt to flavor food.

“不用钠，你也可以做出非常美味的搓面，”她说. "Use dried herbs and spices to rub on meats and vegetables before you put them on the grill."

4. 多吃蔬菜

Grilling vegetables is a great alternative to meat, 稍微说. In addition to popular choices such as corn, there are many flavorful vegetables to choose from.

"Grill some sweet potatoes – they are absolutely delicious – or green pepper, 洋葱或西葫芦,她建议道.

5. 选择对心脏有益的方面

Opting for whole-grain buns and side dishes such as bean salads are another way to make backyard barbecues better for heart health, 稍微说.

为了简便起见，她建议使用低钠罐装豆子. 把它们冲洗干净, 用它们和新鲜的欧芹、西红柿和洋葱一起做沙拉, 让他们兴奋起来!"