The health benefits of grilling are just one more reason to enjoy delicious meals cooked on your gas, charcoal, or pellet-fueled outdoor grill.

Four obvious health benefits of grilling

Some of the health benefits of grilling are obvious — when you grill meat, you consume less fat . When you cook a piece of meat in a buttery sauce or fry it on the stovetop, the fat has nowhere to go, it pools in the pan and at least some of it is reabsorbed by the meat. In the case of fried chicken or a piece of meat that has been coated with flour or crumbs, the coating soaks up excess fat. When you grill meat, the excess fat drips through the grates of your grill and burns off.

Grilling is a faster method of cooking food; therefore, you preserve more nutrients when you grill. This is true of both meat and vegetables. In fact, when you grill meat, it retains more riboflavin and thiamine — complex B vitamins that help your body break down carbohydrates to produce energy. Veggies retain more of their vitamins and minerals too, especially vegetables with low water content. Since the veggies that you toss on your grill are usually fresh, seasonal ones, you are getting the double benefit of fresh food cooked in the most nutritious way possible.

Since grilling enhances the natural flavor of foods, you can lower your sodium intake by cutting back on the amount of salt used in your cooking. Try using a dry rub on your rack of ribs or mixing in a little no-salt seasoning into your next batch of burgers.

Grilling your food can cut down on fat and sugar intake. Because grilling locks in moisture, you don’t need to slather butter on that ear of corn or douse your meat with sugar-laden steak or bar-b-que sauces.

One secret health benefit of grilling

Grilling is an outdoor activity. While your dinner is sizzling away, you can toss a frisbee or a football with the kids, play a quick game of cornhole, or enjoy some other outdoor activity. If you’re a solo chef, you can do a few simple stretches, squats, or lunges without having to stray far from your grill. Adding a bit of exercise adds enjoyment and doubles the health benefits of grilling!

HL Posey Builders' custom outdoor kitchens and living areas make a healthy outdoor lifestyle possible from Sarasota to Marco Island. Call us at 239.893.3700 today to begin enjoying the health benefits of grilling!