National BBQ Week

Guide to Having a Healthy BBQ - NRG Gym Health Advice

All this week the country is celebrating National BBQ Week, when the air will be filled with the smells and sounds of summer… the great British weather permitting!

BBQs in Britain used to be about crusty charcoal, lots of smoke and burnt burgers. Now with even the celebrity chefs singing the praises of BBQs, the nation has come a long way.

However, in recent years there has been concerns voiced by health experts that BBQs can be bad for us, and even lead to cancer. So here’s our healthy BBQ guide:

  • Clean your grill before and after use to avoid transferring leftover cleaning chemicals and so it doesn’t become a breeding ground for germs.
  • To avoid stomach upsets caused by such as E. coli or salmonella bacteria, don’t leave foods sitting around in the sunshine. Keep them in the fridge until ready to cook. As well, after you’ve cooked something, eat it straight away. That is, don’t go picking up a burger that’s been left around to bake in the sunshine while you’ve been supping cold beers for a couple of hours…
  • Don’t burn anything that you bung on the BBQ. If you do burn it, pick off the burnt parts and bin them.
  • Choose leaner meats and trim off any fat. As well as being healthier for you when you eat the cooked meat, it will help to stop it dripping and so reduce flame flare-ups that can burn the meat.
  • Fish is healthier than meat, and less likely to burn badly. Try cooking salmon, rich in omega-3 fatty acid – and extremely tasty too!
  • Cut down on BBQ time by roasting in the oven or pan searing first.

Follow these simple tips and you can have healthy fun out in the sun!