Grilled dishes: their benefits and harm. What are the most harmful grilled dishes and how to grill for health benefits?

What is a grill and how to cook on it?

Grilling is a method of cooking meat, vegetables, etc. on the grill or on a spit. For meat dishes, special aluminum, corrugated and perforated baking sheets are usually used, which ensure free circulation of hot air and do not allow fat to burn out. This is important because burning fat when heated can release harmful chemicals, such as carcinogenic lipid peroxides.

It must be remembered that the grate should always be thoroughly washed. The burned fat remaining on it is a source of toxic substances. It is recommended to use special charcoal from deciduous trees as ignition material.

Beneficial features

• Less fat . When food is grilled, it contains less fat because excess fat seeps through the grill and does not remain on the food. Unlike a frying pan, from which the fat has nowhere to go, so it is absorbed into the food, and ultimately this substance ends up on the table along with the dish.
• Vegetables retain vitamins . Most people don't know that grilled vegetables retain more vitamins and minerals. This is especially true for those vegetables that have low water content. In addition, vegetables prepared in this way are usually fresh and seasonal, so there is no need to resort to canned goods, which are less healthy. Also, cooking vegetables on the grill is a simpler and more expedient method than boiling or frying.
• Meat retains nutrients . When a piece of meat is placed on the fire, vitamins such as riboflavin and thiamine are preserved. Both of these nutrients play a vital role in a healthy diet.
• Less oil . If the cook is a professional and does not overcook food, then using the grill you can get juicy meat and tasty vegetables. Because the grill retains more moisture, there will be little to no need for oil or seasonings. In addition to the fact that such dishes contain fewer calories, you do not have to use unhealthy products.
• Leisure . The procedure for preparing food on the grill is carried out in the fresh air, on the street. This usually involves active recreation with family and friends. While dinner is being prepared, you can engage in active activities, such as playing catch or tag on the grass.

• Undercooked food. If the meat is undercooked, it can lead to bacterial infections. This applies to any type of meat. Therefore, you need to especially carefully monitor the degree of readiness of meat products.
• Dangerous lead . Grilled food using newspapers as igniter material is especially harmful. The problem is that printed ink contains lead, which settles in the lungs and can also accumulate in the body.
• Dioxins . It is one of the most toxic compounds known to science. Dioxins are produced during grilling. In 2 hours, the same amount of dioxins is released as in the case of burning 220 thousand cigarettes. The concentration of these compounds a few meters from the grill can even exceed permissible emission standards by up to seven times. Research shows that dioxins, in addition to increasing the likelihood of developing cancer, can also damage the endocrine, nervous, immune and reproductive systems, increase insulin resistance, and contribute to the development of diabetes.
• Furans. Like dioxins, furans are classified as so-called persistent organic pollutants (POPs) - chemical substances that are characterized by high persistence, the ability to accumulate in adipose tissue and rapid distribution in the environment. The main source of their emissions is combustion processes. Furans are actively released during grilling.
• Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). This group includes more than two hundred compounds. Many of them have carcinogenic properties. Among PAHs, the most famous is benzopyrene. These types of compounds do not cause serious reactions in the body, but chronic exposure can be very dangerous. Scientific research shows that they can cause tumor changes in various tissues of the body. The main source of PAH emissions is combustion processes, or more precisely, processes of incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons. During grilling, these harmful substances are especially actively released.

How to protect yourself from exposure to harmful substances?

Grilling is becoming an increasingly popular way of cooking. However, few people know that it can pose a health hazard. Grilled meats and vegetables produce carcinogenic compounds . Their quantity and toxicity increase with increasing cooking time and heating temperature of food. Therefore, it is necessary to adhere to food preparation rules that will protect against exposure to harmful substances.

Exposure to toxins produced during grilling can be reduced in the following ways:

1. Do not place sausages on the grill, only fresh raw meat. Because sausages often contain preservatives, which turn into dangerous toxins when exposed to temperature.
2. The meat must be marinated before baking. This will help save cooking time and reduce the amount of toxins produced.
3. Meat should only be cooked using charcoal from hardwood trees. Coniferous trees contain resins, which can release toxic substances when burned.
4. It is safer to place meat on aluminum trays rather than directly on the grill. They provide protection against harmful substances present in smoke.

Grilling food is a quick way to get a tasty and healthy meal, but you should follow the above recommendations to minimize the impact of harmful substances on the body.

Is it worth buying an electric grill for home or not? Pros and cons of the device

Is it worth purchasing an electric grill, or will this device not be useful in the home?

Photo 1. Cooking meat using a compact home electric grill Tefal GC450b32.

Benefits: Nutrition, versatility and convenience

Modern models of contact and non-contact electric grills are distinguished by features that are often unavailable for other kitchen appliances:

• Saves time and allows you to cook large quantities of food . Spacious models with several compartments for food allow you to prepare 2-3 dishes at the same time in a short period of time.
• Preparing dietary dishes as part of proper nutrition. It is possible to fry, stew, or bake foods without adding oil or any other fats , which is especially important for adherents of a healthy lifestyle or those people who are forced to adhere to a strict diet for health reasons.
• No odors during cooking in closed models. Unlike a traditional barbecue, an electric grill does not emit odors during the cooking process. This is convenient in the home kitchen, including in a small studio apartment.

• Silent cooking. Most models feature reduced noise production.
• Versatility. On an electric grill you can cook dishes from different products : meat, fish, poultry, vegetables, eggs, bread, cereals.
• Wide functionality. In addition to its primary purpose, the device is used for stewing, frying, defrosting and heating .

Harm: difficult care, energy consumption, limited functions

Despite a number of advantages, operating an electric grill also involves obvious inconveniences:

• High power consumption. The device is quite energy-intensive, so it should not be surprising that frequent and prolonged use has a negative impact on electricity bills. Moreover, the device is sensitive to any voltage changes . Even in the event of the slightest power surge, the electric grill may fail.
• A small number of ways to prepare food. An electric grill does not replace basic kitchen appliances. Unlike, for example, an air fryer, it is impossible to fully cook first courses or steam them.

• Inconvenient control of food readiness. The electric grill must not be left unattended . Even the presence of a shutdown timer does not guarantee that the dish will not be overcooked or, conversely, undercooked.
• Need for cleaning. The non-stick surface requires careful and delicate care after each use. If not properly cleaned, the coating quickly loses its functional properties, which means it becomes less effective.

Carefully! Due to the fact that the device is under mains voltage, it is prohibited to use it outdoors during even light rain. The electric grill must not come into contact with moisture!

Electric grilled meat: harm or benefit?

Today, the market for equipment for professional kitchens of public catering establishments is rich in offers. Many manufacturing plants produce a wide range of equipment and everything necessary for the normal operation of catering establishments.

Electric grills of various types are no exception. Therefore, many entrepreneurs who are thinking about purchasing such heating equipment have questions: Which electric grill to buy? Is it even worth buying? And how to choose?

Let's try to understand these issues.

Why do you need an electric grill in the kitchen?

Such equipment is necessary for the thermal processing of food, namely, various dishes are fried on grills of any type. In this case, the process occurs much faster than when cooking on a conventional stove. This is possible due to the fact that the maximum operating temperature of electric grills is quite high, and frying is carried out using a contact or non-contact method. That is, heat treatment occurs either on a heated surface or under the influence of hot air.

For example, various frying surfaces, pressure, roller, pebble electric grills are necessary for contact processing, because the product is cooked directly on the heated surface. And in such types as air grills, electric barbecues, kebabs, shawarma machines and carousel grills, the heat treatment process occurs contactlessly.

Each type has its own characteristics, both in design and operating modes. There are no universal devices - each type is designed for a separate type of product and is used only for preparing certain dishes. It is impossible, for example, to quickly and efficiently fry a lot of meat for shawarma on a frying surface, or evenly fry and bake a lot of hot dog sausages on a pressure grill.

To prepare certain types of products, appropriate types of apparatus are needed. Compliance with this condition will greatly speed up the cooking process. Because of this, purchasing an electric grill for businesses and quick service outlets becomes especially important. Well, the choice of which electric grill to buy remains with the buyer.

What can you cook on an electric grill and what type of grill should you choose?

For frying portioned dishes of meat, fish, steaks, and burgers, various frying surfaces and pressing devices are used. They are smooth or grooved. The heated corrugated surface, in addition to frying the meat, leaves an imprint on it, as if from a barbecue grill. Due to this, the finished dish looks even more attractive and appetizing.

The same dishes can be cooked on a lava, pebble or water electric grill. The difference is that with pebble, the product is fried on stones; when using a lava apparatus, frying is carried out on a grate, which is located above hot stones of a special lava rock. A water or vapor grill generally fries in a water bath, so the dishes always remain juicy, but at the same time they are covered with a crispy crust.

The salamander grill bakes or fries the product from above, from below, or from both sides at the same time, because its heating elements are located in the movable upper part and in the fixed lower part. This type of machine is ideal, for example, for baking rolls.

Separately, it is worth considering machines for shawarma, hot dogs, grilled chicken and electric kebab makers. To prepare shawarma, a vertical grill with a spit is used, along the entire length of which several heating elements are installed. Each of which can be enabled/disabled independently of the others.

Electric kebab makers are equipped with skewers, the arrangement of which can be single or double row. Accordingly, only kebabs are prepared on them.

Sausages for hot dogs are fried on roller grills or in carousel grills - both types of devices do an excellent job.

To prepare whole grilled chicken carcasses, special equipment is used, which is similar to ovens, but still these are also electric grills. It is more convenient to fry parts of poultry carcasses in a carousel.

All the dishes listed above are not the entire list of products that can be cooked on electric grills. Only the most popular ones are listed here.

The benefits and harms of an electric grill

If we consider the issue from the point of view of harm to the health of personnel working on the equipment, then there is practically no harm. Provided that the electric grill is in good working order, installed in accordance with the requirements of SanPin and the manufacturer, and is also operated correctly by employees.

If we talk about what kind of food comes out after frying on an electric grill - healthy or harmful, then there is no definite answer. Abuse of almost any food product, regardless of the method of preparation, can lead to negative consequences. Each person decides for himself what to eat.

In turn, in the kitchen of an enterprise, when working with electric grills, cooks must follow simple operating rules, clean and wash the equipment in a timely manner so that carbon deposits do not form and carcinogens do not accumulate, and also use only fresh products and raw materials.

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Why do you need an electric grill?

To answer the question, you need to understand for what purpose the device is being purchased. Without a doubt, a functional electric grill impresses with its culinary results : aromatic meat steaks, juicy fish, crispy baked vegetables will decorate the holiday table.

And at the same time, the device belongs to a series of additional kitchen appliances. It is less practical than the same multicooker and microwave, and in a small kitchen it will take up extra space. An electric grill is not suitable for frequent use when there is a need to save on electricity consumption.

Benefits of grilled foods

Let's start our conversation about the benefits and harms of grilled foods by considering the positive qualities of this food. At the moment, three factors with a “plus” sign can be distinguished:

Nutritionists say that short-term baking of foods, which is achieved through the use of a grill, is more beneficial for the body compared to fried foods. First of all, this concerns the removal of large amounts of fat, which leads to a decrease in the energy value of the finished dish. They contain less saturated fatty acids and lipoprotein compounds, the dangers of which many people know today.

A short exposure to temperature on foods allows them to retain the maximum amount of nutrients.

• Classic additions to grilled dishes also have a positive effect on our body. Surely you already realized that we are talking about various seasonings and salads with the addition of red wine or olive oil. These ingredients improve the functioning of the digestive system and also supply the body with large amounts of antioxidants.

Secrets to healthy grilling

• If you are going to create your culinary masterpiece using a fire, use only charcoal to create fire and avoid using the flammable liquids mentioned above. But keep in mind that it is very undesirable to use firewood obtained from coniferous wood, since they contain a lot of resins.
• Start baking food as soon as the coals turn to gray ash. Under the current conditions, the temperature will not be so high, as a result of which the food will not burn, much less char.
• Avoid cooking over an open fire. By doing this, you will protect yourself from receiving carcinogenic substances along with food that can cause cancer.

• It is advisable to grill foods after placing them in aluminum trays. An analogue to these devices is ordinary foil - you already know about it. The use of this trick also prevents the penetration of harmful carcinogens into the prepared delicacy.
• Fish and meat should be marinated before grilling. By doing this, you will achieve a reduction in the time required to prepare the dish you have in mind. The food itself will turn out incredibly tender, juicy and easily digestible by the body. It is recommended to soak the meat in the sauce for at least 60 minutes. As a marinade, you can use a mixture of olive oil and spices, mayonnaise, and beer. If you are cooking lamb, then a marinade consisting of black tea, olive oil, black pepper, rosemary and garlic is suitable for it. Poultry meat is immersed for an hour in a mixture of vegetable oil, red wine, red pepper and marjoram. Be sure to dry marinated food with a cotton or paper towel before grilling.
• To give dishes a piquant taste and aroma, do not neglect spices and seasonings. Just sprinkle them on the product.
• Frozen food cannot be grilled.
• Salt the dish at the very end of baking. Then you should add the remaining marinade to the dish.
• Do you want to grill healthy kebab? Thread pieces of meat and slices of vegetables onto the skewer alternately, and there should be more of the latter.

After each barbecue, be sure to clean the grate on which you place food to be grilled, and do so thoroughly. May the food prepared in this way, so beloved by many of you, turn out to be only for the good!

An electric grill is not considered an essential item in the kitchen. But its popularity is rapidly growing : with the help of the device, a lot of dishes are prepared that taste in no way inferior to dishes from the grill.

The electric grill is multifunctional does not require the addition of oil when cooking food (meat, fish, vegetables) .

Harmful effects of grilled food

Let's move on to answering the second part of the question about the potential benefits and harms of grilled foods. We have also identified three negative points and would like to introduce you to them:

Fatty meat (this is the product that most often ends up on the grill) can cause weight gain. Everyone knows that this increases the risk of developing diseases of the cardiovascular system. Animal fats contribute to lipid metabolism disorders.

Fats released from meat during cooking form strong carcinogens such as acrylamide and benzopyrene. Combining with smoke, they settle on the finished food.

Harm from grilled foods

Unfortunately, grilling does much more harm than good.

Processing too fatty meat/fish increases the energy value of the product, which is already quite large initially, as well as the amount of harmful sterol compounds in it. Frequent consumption of such food increases the risk of developing excess weight, atherosclerosis (due to an increase in “bad” cholesterol in the blood), and causes lipid metabolism disorders. As a result, an increase in blood pressure and heart problems may begin.

Additional use of animal fat or vegetable oils when baking meat, fish, grilled vegetables contributes to the formation of carcinogenic substances in such food. This occurs due to the strong heating of the oil or the contact of fat with fire and its subsequent combustion. Carcinogens pose a great danger to human health because they cause the growth and development of cancer cells, accelerate the aging process, and pollute the body. Pieces of meat with a crispy crust are especially rich in these dangerous substances.

Undercooked grilled food also does not benefit the human body. Such meat may well be a source of infection: campylobacteriosis (poultry), Yersinia bacteria (pork), E-coli pathogen (pork). Victims of these diseases first experience general malaise, then they develop symptoms of food poisoning: diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, fever. However, in reality everything turns out to be much more serious.

Grilled delicacies are made harmful by flammable liquids used to start a fire - for example, alcohol, gasoline, chemical alcohol. There is always a danger of toxic components of these substances penetrating into meat, vegetables, and fish. The same applies to the use of rotten wood and newspapers.

How to make grilled food less harmful?

We will talk in more detail about the process of grilling food, but now we will simply give tips on how to improve the quality of your dishes:

For a fire, you should use charcoal, as well as natural fire starters. It is not recommended to use firewood made from softwood, as they contain a large amount of resins.

Start baking food at the moment when the coal turns into gray ash. Since the temperature in this situation will be relatively low, you will be able to avoid charring and overcooking the food. But you definitely shouldn’t cook over an open fire.

Using aluminum trays, you will prevent fat from getting on hot coals and thereby prevent the formation of carcinogenic compounds.

Do not grill frozen foods.

Thin pieces should be processed to prevent undercooking.

Meat and fish should be marinated before cooking. As a result, it will not only become more juicy and tasty, but it will also take less time to prepare the dish, and the body will quickly absorb such food.

To make dishes aromatic and give them a refined taste, you should use various herbs, for example, basil, sage, thyme, mint, rosemary, etc.

Choose lean meats, and even better, cook poultry.

An excellent product for grilling is fish.

Grilled vegetables continue to provide a wealth of nutrients.

To ensure that grilled dishes are beneficial and not harmful, take care of preparing salads in advance. They will make your meal easier and healthier.

Instead of high-calorie beer, drink red wine. Dry and semi-dry alcoholic drinks can improve digestion processes.

We are sure that no matter the answer to the question about the benefits and harms of grilled foods, there is no point in completely abandoning summer picnics. With the right information, you can enjoy spending free time with friends without harming your body.

What are the benefits of grilling?

Thermal processing of grilled food involves short-term baking at high temperatures. Compared to frying, this method of cooking is much healthier, since as a result of its use we get delicacies that are not so rich in saturated fats, cholesterol and damage to health. Accordingly, they have fewer calories. And this number gets even lower if you don't use vegetable oils or animal fat when you grill your food. The natural fats that escape from meat when heated are mostly evaporated. And the rest do not turn into carcinogens that poison the body.

A significant benefit of grilling is the maximum preservation of nutrients in food, namely vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, etc. During cooking, these beneficial compounds end up in the broth and are almost completely destroyed during frying.

Grilled food can be consumed for chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. In particular, it is suitable for people suffering from cholecystitis, gastritis, disorders of the liver and pancreas. True, for such ailments, it is better to give preference to grilled vegetables, fruits and mushrooms, since nutritionists consider them healthier than fish and meat fillets. However, before starting the cooking process, it is worth wrapping the product in foil. By the way, this measure will help not spoil the rich taste of the dish.

The most basic grilling is roasting food over an open fire, that is, a fire. Potatoes prepared using this method are safe for health and at the same time quite tasty. We are talking about baking unpeeled tubers in hot ashes.

Dishes cooked on an electric grill are nutritious and easily digestible. The infrared radiation emitted by the device penetrates deep into the processed product and does not destroy the chemical compounds inherent in food. The original texture of the treat remains unchanged.

How to properly cook grilled food?

Many people are looking forward to summer not only because of the start of the holiday season. As soon as the air temperature rises to 20 degrees and above, it becomes possible to go outside to eat barbecue. Among all the methods of cooking known to mankind, the most ancient is roasting over a fire. Our ancestors constantly improved it. Now we will tell you how to properly cook grilled foods so that you receive only benefits and not harm from eating them.

In fact, over the centuries, this method of cooking has not undergone major changes. Modern man has just acquired new equipment. Surely no one will be able to resist the aromatic kebabs, unless he adheres to a vegetarian diet. We have already talked about the benefits and harms of grilled foods, now it’s time to consider the rules for cooking food in this way.

Types of grills

People have not cooked food over a fire for a long time, because there are many devices that allow you to quickly cook food on the grill. First of all, you should pay attention to the choice of racks. Most grill fans are sensitive to the choice of stand material, because the taste of the finished dish largely depends on it. It is best to use racks. Made of stainless steel, without any coating or varnishing.

Also important may be the issue of having a mechanism for adjusting the height, as well as protection from gusts of wind. This will limit the access of air to the fat and thereby minimize the amount of carcinogens formed. Horizontal bar racks can be equipped with protective aluminum foil.

The next important issue is the choice of coal. It is best to use beech charcoal for this. Let's return again to the possible burning of fat, and to suppress this process, products must be pre-marinated. To avoid getting fat on hot coals. You can use special trays or regular foil.

It is quite obvious that grill coals cannot be used in an apartment. This not only can lead to a fire, but also makes neighbors nervous. If you want to pamper yourself with a grill at home without going outdoors, use gas or electric devices. Thanks to them, it is possible to avoid the formation of carcinogenic compounds, since contact between fat and coals is excluded.

When preparing grilled foods, various spices, extracts, syrups, etc. are important. By properly distributing the oil over the surface of the product being processed, you can protect it from burning. If you add spices to the oil, the taste of the dish can be excellent. We have already said that red wine should be preferred to beer at a picnic. However, this foamy drink can be used as a marinade and will provide a thin, crispy crust.

We recommend keeping the food in the marinade for at least one, and preferably two, hours. If you are preparing to bake poultry, you can soak it in a mixture of butter, red wine, pepper and marjoram. A combination of garlic, black tea, pepper and rosemary is perfect for lamb. Salt should be added to food at the final stage of cooking.

Grilled dishes will acquire the most exquisite taste if served with seasoned sauces. You can buy them at the supermarket or prepare them yourself. It is very important that the spices used are not mutually exclusive. Vegetable salads are an excellent side dish for grilled meat. You can also use rice, boiled potatoes, legumes, etc. Unleash your culinary imagination and surprise your family and friends.

The benefits and harms of indoor and outdoor grilling

The method of cooking over coals has been known for many years, but is still very popular. Grilled dishes prepared in the open air are distinguished by their aroma and golden brown crust. No oil is used for their preparation, which means that the calorie content of these dishes will be less than those cooked in a frying pan.

The damage caused by grilling outdoors is several times less than that of foods fried in oil.

But it’s not always possible to get out into nature and enjoy food cooked over a fire. Don't be upset about this. Thanks to modern technologies, you can cook delicious grilled fish and vegetables at home.

There are several options for grilling at home:

-electric grill,

- grill for gas stove,

-grill in the microwave,

- grill pans.

Dishes cooked on a home grill are practically in no way inferior in taste to those prepared outdoors.

However, it is worth considering that in each of the cooking options, grilling can cause both harm and benefit.

If you cook a dish over coals and use chemicals for ignition, there is a risk that their fumes will get into your food. Home grilling can also cause harm to the body. It is believed that dishes cooked in a microwave oven do not contain any beneficial vitamins and microelements. This is due to the fact that the radiation waves of a microwave oven destroy the structure of the product, thereby depriving it of all its beneficial properties. If you choose the method of grilling in a special frying pan, then again there is oil, which when heated will not be useful, but only the opposite.