MATTHEW McNUTT

Cheryl Forberg, the nuitritionist for Biggest Loser (and former personal chef for George Lucas – that’s right, George Lucas and I have both had meals prepared by the same awesome nuitritionist!!!) has put together some great grilling tips on her blog!  Perfect for all this summer cooking!  Click the link at the end to get the rest of her great tips!

BBQ – That’s Good For You!

Who knew that one of the most flavorful cooking methods is healthy too? Since grilling doesn’t require much added fat, it’s an easy way to economize on calories without sacrificing flavor. The added bonus is the extra layer of smoky flavor it imparts to any food cooked to perfection on a nice hot grill.

Anyone who’s trying to drop a few pounds quickly learns that sautéing and frying are not part of their cooking vocabulary. This is because meats that are cooked in a sauté pan or in the oven typically sit in their own fatty juices as they cook. Some recipes also require the addition of cooking oil or other fats. Since fat has more than twice as many calories as protein or carbohydrate, it’s the perfect ingredient to minimize when trying to shave away calories. Cooking methods that don’t require added fat include – steaming, poaching, baking, broiling and grilling.

Grilling allows most of the fat to melt and drip away from the food. But that doesn’t mean that a fatty cut of meat won’t still be high in fat. You need to begin with fairly lean choices.

How we prepare our foods for grilling also plays a role in determining their fat and calorie content. If you slather on a sugary barbeque sauce, or oil-rich marinades, the health benefits achieved by grilling are negated. A light brush of olive oil or a flavorful dipping sauce recipe is often all that’s needed to add a little ooh-la-la to a moist filet of fish or a juicy chicken breast.

Healthy Grilling Tips:

• Fire up – to minimize sticking, be sure the grill is hot before adding your food carefully hold your hand just above the grill grate. If you can hold it for one second the heat is high, two seconds = medium-high, 3 seconds= medium and 5 seconds = low.
• Oil it – even on a clean, hot grill, very lean foods can stick. But don’t use cooking oil spray on a hot grill. Use a vegetable-oil soaked paper towel or cloth. Hold it with a tongs and quickly rub over the grill rack.
• Grab it – tongs are an indispensable cooking tool; especially for grilling. Be sure to find a pair that is long enough to reach the back of your grill so that you don’t have to hold your hands over the high heat.
• Play safe – Avoid cross-contamination by using separate cutting boards, utensils and platters for cooked and raw foods. Refrigerate marinated foods and don’t baste with your marinating liquid. You can boil (and cool) the marinating liquid if you want to use it for basting.
• Flip it – A grill basket works wonders to keep smaller foods from falling through the grill grids. It’s also much easier to turn over sliced vegetables or fruits in a basket than turning one by one.
• Skewer ’em Cut vegetables such as eggplant, zucchini or Bell peppers in even sized pieces and thread them on skewers with mushrooms or cherry tomatoes. When they’re all the same size, they’ll cook at the same rate. Use leftover veggies the next day to make flavorful salads

For the rest of her awesome tips, click here!