the better barbeque

By Fiona Kirk

There is little doubt that there are enough studies out there to suggest that barbecuing meats -particularly fatty meats - can increase the production of carcinogens (cancer-promoting agents) but let’s face it, our british summers are hardly conducive to breaking out the barbie on a daily basis. Even weekly would be a treat!

However, scientists don’t go out of their way to spoil all our fun and if there is a serious question mark surrounding the health attributes (or risks) of ploughing into a big fat burger or sausage whenever we do get an opportunity to get outdoors and enjoy barbecued food, why not consider some alternatives.  And there are loads of them, trust me...

When is a burger not a burger? 

Try an ostrich burger or a bison (buffalo) burger instead of a beef burger.  Both contain around half the amount of saturated fat, are rich sources of lean protein, are seriously delicious and increasingly easy to source in supermarkets, farmers markets and on the internet.  Or a venison burger – like us humans, the more an animal runs around the leaner it is – and how often have you seen deer standing around grazing for hours on end!

Small is beautiful! 

For many, a barbecue is just not a barbecue without meat BUT studies show that the smaller the pieces of meat and the quicker they are cooked, the less damage potential there is.  So, get yourself a piece of beautiful lean fillet steak, slice it thinly, coat the slices in olive oil, grill them briefly (turning regularly) and sling the tasty morsels onto a salad with a huge selection of green leaves.  Drizzle with a little more olive oil and a squirt of lemon juice or balsamic vinegar (a perfect accompaniment to red meat), then scatter a handful of toasted pine nuts or flaked almonds to add a fabulous ‘crunch’ not to mention the barrel-load of essential fats they provide to help burn fat, stave off energy dips and keep you flexible both physically and mentally.

Vegetables are ‘’it’ 

If you haven’t tried grilling your vegetables on the barbecue, you haven’t lived!  Slices of aubergine, quartered de-seeded peppers (all colours), baby courgettes and corn, spring onions, halved tomatoes, asparagus spears (and whatever else is in season) take on a new life on the barbecue.  Eat them along with your ‘burger’ or warm some tortilla wraps or wholemeal pitta breads, fill them with green leaves, heap the grilled vegetables in with abandon and crumble some feta or goats cheese on top – a feast!  And just a word about the health benefits while we’re here – five a day may be the recommendation, but a huge plate of grilled vegetables are going to take you way beyond that, fill you full of fabulous antioxidants to tackle the dreaded carcinogens that might be lurking in the barbecued meats and increase your daily fibre intake big time!

Things on stix 

There is no end to the foods you can skewer!  Just remember to soak the wooden sticks in hot water for half an hour before you start, so the food doesn’t stick like glue and the wood doesn’t go up in flames and you’re sorted!  Experiment with chunks of meat, prawns, scallops, onions, peppers, tomatoes, courgettes (just about anything you can ram on a stick!)  Give them a really good massage with some olive oil and go for it.  Keep them turning (seriously important to stop the edges of the pieces charring too much) and serve on a bed of couscous.  If you aim for more vegetables per skewer than meats/fish and you ensure you have them with a good plateful of grains, you are guaranteed a super-balanced meal and the effort involved in getting the food off the sticks often means you eat less – always a plus point when you are trying to lose or maintain a healthy weight

Slam it in a roasting tray 

You don’t always have to put food straight onto the barbecue.  It’s a fabulous source of direct heat and if you marinate your food or coat it in olive oil and cook it on top of the barbecue (placing it on the hottest section until well browned then moving it over to the cooler area until cooked) you can avoid those possible carcinogens completely.  Try chicken legs or wings with chunks of vegetables and baby potatoes, scatter herbs liberally amongst them and enjoy the ‘oh so different’ taste that is produced.