Aug 7, 2013 1 min read

Healthy grilling tips shared by West Penn Allegheny Health System nutritionists:

• Go Lean: For hamburgers, use ground sirloin of 93 percent lean beef or consider turkey burgers. For cheeseburgers choose cheese slices make with skim milk

• Add Color: Vegetables such as red peppers, yellow squash, zucchini and eggplant are delicious when grilled and provide many healthy nutrients. Salads are also a good choice, but use either a vinaigrette dressing or oil and vinegar instead of a creamy dressing.

• Add Fiber: Serve meats on whole wheat buns and serve up a baked bean side dish

• Don’t overcook: Charcoal is believed to contaminate food with carcinogenic compounds and release dangerous hydrocarbons and soot into the air. Gas grilling is cleaner

• Avoid contamination: Don’t let food sit out for more than two hours. Pre-heating your grill for 20 minutes can help kill lingering bacteria. Never use the same plate and utensils for raw and cooked meat. Scrape off and clean your grill after each use as bacteria and carcinogenic residue can build up on the grates over time time.

• Stock your cooler with water instead of alcoholic beverages or soda.