There are many delicious foods in the summer, especially barbecue, which is an especially good time to eat in the evening. Adding beer or soda to barbecue is even more harmful to the body. So, how is the correct way to eat barbecue? How can you avoid these harms? Only by learning the correct way to eat barbecue can you avoid the unhealthy effects it brings!
12 Things to Note for Healthy Summer Barbecue
1. Wrap the grilled meat in vegetables.
Eating grilled meat wrapped in raw green vegetables can greatly reduce the toxicity of carcinogens. Or, make a cold salad with cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, or cauliflower, which are "detoxifying enzymes" that accelerate the excretion of carcinogens. It's best to eat grilled meat with barley tea or green tea, preferably warm, to cut the grease, protect the stomach, and avoid the stimulation of alternating between hot and cold. It's best not to brush sauce while grilling to avoid consuming too much salt. You can marinate the meat first before grilling, or dilute the barbecue sauce with water before applying it to the ingredients.
2. Try to avoid open-flame barbecues.
Teppanyaki-style barbecue produces less smoke and relatively fewer carcinogens. The barbecue sauce helps reduce the formation of carcinogens. Related research indicates that marinating or coating the meat with barbecue sauce before grilling can significantly reduce the production of carcinogens. The starch, sugar, and other components in the barbecue sauce absorb heat first when heated, protecting the meat in the center from sudden high temperatures. To maintain the color and appearance of the sauce, diners are more careful not to overheat it, thus reducing the chance of carcinogen formation.
3. Don't eat barbecue with beer.
Beer is refreshing and contains many essential amino acids and rich vitamins, making it popular. However, some precautions often go unnoticed. For example, drinking beer while eating grilled meat skewers is not advisable. Smoked foods contain organic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, benzopyrene, and amino acid derivatives produced during cooking. When excessive drinking raises blood lead levels, these substances can combine with it, inducing digestive tract diseases or even tumors.
4. Vegetables and fruits should not be grilled.
Green romaine lettuce, long chives, sweet apple slices—it seems like any vegetable or fruit can be grilled. However, crisp and tender vegetables are hard to control on a charcoal fire. A little too long and they can burn, potentially producing more carcinogens than meat. Moreover, the nutritional value of vegetables and fruits is largely reflected in their rich vitamins, which are destroyed by excessive heating.
5. Grill seafood for a longer time.
Charcoal-grilled oysters and grilled scallops are currently the most popular seafood barbecue methods, but their biggest safety risk is being "cooked on the outside, raw on the inside." Seafood contains pathogenic bacteria like Vibrio parahaemolyticus, which are heat-resistant and can only be killed at temperatures above 80°C. There may also be parasite eggs. Generally, steaming seafood is the safest. If you must eat grilled seafood, it should be grilled for as long as possible. It's best to pair it with garlic and mustard, which have antibacterial properties.
6. Use your eyes and fingers to check for doneness.
When grilling meats like beef and chicken, you can judge the doneness simply by touching it: when it feels very smooth and soft, it's rare; when it feels very soft with a slightly browned surface, it's medium-rare; when the surface is brown, it's medium; when you press the surface and it feels firm yet springy, it's medium-well; when the meat feels hard, it's well-done.
7. Be particular about barbecue sauces.
Regarding sauces, it's best not to brush barbecue sauce while grilling to avoid consuming too much salt and sodium. You can marinate the meat first before grilling. If you enjoy the fun of brushing sauce while grilling, you can make your own barbecue sauce or dilute it with water. For seafood like scallops, you can skip the sauce and just add some minced garlic for the best flavor, which can also reduce the formation of carcinogens.
8. Eat more fresh raw vegetables.
Fresh raw vegetables and fermented foods, when paired with grilled meat, provide as many antioxidants, anti-cancer components, and dietary fiber that promotes the excretion of carcinogens as possible. The old "recipe" of barbecue with beer can be changed. Put down your beer and switch to drinks like barley tea and fruit juice.
9. Sprinkle salt evenly and let it cool before eating.
It's easy to use too much oil and salt when barbecuing. Some people keep brushing oil on the food for fear it will dry out. Salt should be sprinkled evenly, and it's easy to overdo it. Actually, no matter what you're grilling, one or two coats of oil are enough. Use a small brush and dip it in oil lightly each time for an even coat. Mix salt, pepper, sesame seeds, chicken powder, etc., and increase the proportion of sesame seeds. Sprinkle them on the surface before it's fully cooked, which naturally reduces the amount of salt and chicken powder used. Another method is to marinate fish and meat with salt, cooking wine, soy sauce, chopped green onions, and ginger half an hour in advance, so you don't need to add salt during grilling.
10. Let the food cool down a bit after it's cooked before eating.
When friends get together, they often swarm the food as soon as a batch is done, especially children who will scramble for it. But remember, eating food that is too hot can not only damage the mucous membrane of the esophagus and cause mouth burns, but it can also stimulate mucosal hyperplasia, leaving scars and inflammation. Over time, it may even lead to malignant lesions. Some experts believe that the occurrence of some esophageal cancers may be directly related to the habit of eating hot food. This habit can also damage the taste buds on the tongue, affecting the sense of taste.
11. Don't eat barbecue too often in the summer.
As a daily diet, the barbecue method is not highly recommended. These grilled and smoked foods contain various carcinogens from the charcoal smoke, such as sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, dioxins, and benzopyrene. When meat is grilled on a barbecue, it releases a tempting aroma, but at the same time, vitamins are destroyed, proteins are denatured, and amino acids are also broken down, seriously affecting the intake of vitamins, protein, and amino acids. Therefore, you should try to reduce the frequency and quantity of eating grilled meat.
12. Choose places with legal and sanitary conditions.
When eating grilled meat, it's best to go to restaurants and eateries that have health certificates and business management licenses. Make sure the food is fully cooked. Avoid eating at open-air barbecues, as most are run by vendors without business licenses or health permits. You don't even know if the meat has been inspected or if it's pork from a dead or diseased pig. It is not only unhygienic but also unhealthy.