Healthy Grilling Tips For Fourth of July

Dr. Michael Rakotz, Northwestern Medicine primary care physician who directed weight management programs, owned a community fitness center and teaches classes on healthy cooking, suggests keeping the American tradition of grilling for the Fourth of July alive, but with a healthy twist.

“There’s nothing wrong with eating hamburgers or hot dogs,” he said. “They may not be the healthiest options, but they’re American traditions… especially on a holiday.”

Here are some tips from Dr. Rakotz for your healthiest indulgence of American tradition:

1.     Keep it clean

If you cook on a hot clean grill, you are less likely to cause sticking, which reduces charring.

2.     Avoid charring

Charred meats can carcinogenic material, which may lead to cancer, so don’t grill your meat so much that it chars.

Tip 1: Trim off excess fat to prevent from liquefying, going into the fire and increasing charring.

Tip 2: Keep a spray bottle of water next to your grill to prevent charring if the flame gets too high.

3.     Cooking on plank

To get a smoking flavor without actually smoking the food, try cooking on a wooden plank. Cooking on a plank is popular for fish, but it can be done with other meats as well. 

4.     A healthy burger

Most people think the tastiest burgers are made from fattier cuts of meat. Dr. Rakotz said if you use leaner cuts, they tend to be really dry. Go for the leaner cuts of ground beef, but add in diced onion, mushrooms or both when you’re forming the burgers. The vegetables will add flavor and moisture while it cooks with the burger, giving the healthy alternative the appeal of a fattier cut.

5.     Sweet potato beats white potato

Sweet potatoes have more anti oxidants and vitamins than white potatoes. They also have a lower glycemic index. They don’t cause as big a spike in blood sugar, like white potatoes do, even though they are much sweeter.

6.     Grilled vegetables

Char on vegetables is not as dangerous for you as char on meats. Dr. Rakotz suggested grilling vegetables like corn, asparagus, fennel, garlic, peppers, mushrooms, onions, zucchini or tomatoes. If you want to grill smaller vegetables, he suggested putting them on skewers so they don’t fall in the grill.

For those who need more flavor with their veggies, add lemon or garlic. Dr Rakotz said his favorite is marinating vegetables in balsamic vinaigrette.  Put sliced vegetables in a Ziploc bag with balsamic vinaigrette for at least 30 minutes, stick the veggies on a skewer and grill.

And since kale has been in vogue for its high level of antioxidants and vitamins, Dr. Rakotz shared a recipe that he modified from The Bon Appetit Test Kitchen. Perfect for the Fourth of July, it involves grilling kale and pairing it with fresh fruit and cheese.

Grilled Kale Salad with Fresh or Part Skim Ricotta and Stone Fruit

Serves 5 

Prep Time 20 MINUTES

Recipe modified by Michael Rakotz, MD.

Source Recipe by The Bon Appétit Test Kitchen

THIS IS A DELICIOUS RECIPE FOR SUMMER. FRESH RICOTTA IS KEY. YOU CAN MAKE IT YORUSELF IF YOU CANNOT FIND IT IN STORES.

        INGREDIENTS

•             3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

•             3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

•             2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

•             1 teaspoon honey

•             Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

•             4 medium fresh whole stone fruit total (Either peaches, plums, nectarines or a mixture)

     halved, pitted, thinly sliced

•             12 large or 16 small curly kale leaves

•             3/4 cup fresh ricotta if you can find it, or part skim ricotta if you cannot

•             Zest of ½ of a lemon

To Prepare the salad

•    Whisk 2 Tbsp. olive oil, 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, thyme, and honey in a medium bowl. Season vinaigrette to taste with salt and pepper. Add fruit and toss gently toss to coat; transfer fruit to a plate using a fork and leave vinaigrette in the bowl.

•    Build a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to high. Brush kale leaves with remaining 1 Tbsp. oil; season with salt. Grill kale for 1 minute on each side until crispy and starting to char at edges. Transfer Kale to a cutting board to cool slightly. Cut away large center stems (if present) and discard.  

•    Divide ricotta evenly among 5-plates or shallow bowls; season to taste with salt and pepper. Tear kale leaves into large pieces. Stir vinaigrette. Place kale leaves in a large bowl and toss with enough of the vinaigrette to coat the leaves.  Divide leaves among the 5 plates. Top with plums and spoon some of the remaining vinaigrette over the top.

•    Finish by zesting the lemon over the top of each plate. 
   

1 serving contains 180-220 calories and 130-160 mg sodium, depending on how the type of ricotta you use and the amount of salt to season with.