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Summertime is for Grilling
By Patrice Powers-Barker, OSU Extension, Lucas County
The Truth Contributor
Grilling food in the summer is a great way to keep the
kitchen cool, cook up some tasty food and try some healthy
new recipes. Most people have their favorite recipes and
techniques for grilling. This article will share reminders
for keeping the food safe as well as suggest small changes
for healthier eating.
No one wants to be sick any time of year but especially not
summertime. The following steps for grilling (as well as
other food preparation) will help reduce the risks of
getting and sharing foodborne illness. To help keep spaces
clean, use warm soapy water or use disposable cleaning
wipes.
It’s important to keep fresh fruits, vegetables and cooked
meat separate from raw meat. Defrost frozen food in the
refrigerator and marinate foods in the refrigerator. When
marinating raw meat, do not reuse the marinade on cooked
meat. Choose to either marinade the raw meat and dispose of
the marinade or take the marinade and boil it (after
touching raw meat) before using it with cooked foods. To
help keep raw meat separate from cooked foods, use two sets
of plates – one for the raw meat and one for the cooked
food. In a similar way, use a different cooking tool to
place the raw meat on the grill verses the cooking utensils
used to remove, serve and cut cooked meat. Use a cooking
thermometer to make sure grilled foods are cooked to a safe
temperature and not overcooked. Hamburgers and ground meat
should be cooked to at least 160 degrees and chicken should
be 165 degrees.
There has been some question about the safety of cooking
meats at high temperatures. According to the American Cancer
Society, chemicals created by cooking meat at high
temperatures may raise the risk of cancer. One way they
recommend reducing the risk is to line the grill with heavy
foil and then poke some holes in the foil. The fat from the
meat will drip through the holes but the smoke won’t be as
heavy on the meat. If not using foil, remember to clean
charred bits from the grill before cooking and from your
food before eating.
Try some healthy food tips this summer on the grill:
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Try new recipes featuring chicken and fish while eating a
little less ground beef and sausage
·
Marinate a skewer filled with chicken or shrimp along with
added vegetables like pepper and onion slices and grape or
cherry tomatoes.
·
To grill vegetables, either line a skewer or cut in long,
wide pieces to lay on the grill or the foil. Add a tiny bit
of olive oil or vegetable oil before grilling and sprinkle
with your favorite seasonings and herbs.
·
Grill your dessert! Grill pineapple slices or peaches to
bring out their natural sugars.
What’s happening in the community this summer?
The Ohio State University
Extension office in Lucas County is pleased to announce that
we are participating on a statewide project called weGrill.
WeGrill is an 8 session program for fathers and their child
between the ages of 10-16. The program will focus on healthy
grilling as well as strengthening their relationship. By the
time this article is published, we anticipate that the class
might be full but you can find out more information at
http://lucas.osu.edu/wegrill. Even if you are not a
father or a participant in the summer weGrill program, check
out the monthly nutrition articles this summer to learn
about what the weGrill teams cook up!
Lunch (and sometimes breakfast, snacks or dinner, depending
on the site) is served while school is out. During the
school year many children in our community rely on the
school lunch program for balanced meals. When school is out
for the summer, meals are served at locations such as
libraries, parks, schools, places of worship and community
centers. The Summer Meal Partners (SMP) of Northwest Ohio is
dedicated to making sure every child is offered nutritious
meals at no cost each summer. SMP is a collaboration of
community organizations that have joined together to form
community wide partnerships designed to create enrichment
opportunities at summer meal sites. For a list of over 100
site locations that serve summer meals in the Toledo area,
please visit the Connecting Kids to Meals website at
http://www.connectingkidstomeals.org/our-work/summer-meals/
Information for the article from the American Cancer Society
and Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
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