How Grilled Food Can Help You Get Healthy

Before we go too far, let’s just say:

1. Grilled food is delicious!
2. Just because you’re grilling food doesn’t mean you will lose weight
3. Grilling food imparts a unique flavor that may allow you to not use butter or oils and that is healthier!

The holidays — from Halloween with its candy to Thanksgiving with its turkey and all the fixings to Christmas and New Year’s with the parties and get togethers with delicious foods and drinks — bring with them an inevitable weight gain for many people. That’s why when the first of a new year rolls around, people make a resolution to lose weight. In fact, losing weight is one of the most often cited resolution by people who set resolutions.

If you’re a resolution-setter and if you have resolved to lose weight in the new year or to at least get back to the weight you were before the holidays arrived, we have some delicious grilling recipes.

One of the benefits of grilling, and even people who live in the frozen northern climates can grill year round, is that grilling imparts a delicious flavor that enhances the taste of your foods without frying or drenching them in unhealthy fats.

How Grilled Food Can Help You Get Healthy

Weight loss programs recommend being selective in the food you eat and to find ways to prepare them that are healthier. When you grill your food, you may lose weight without compromising flavor.

How grilling can help with your weight loss goals 

When you grill your foods, you’re getting a lot of benefits:

1. Fats is dripping onto the grill and not soaking into your foods. The dripping fat cooks back into your food through the flavorful smoke it emits
2. Your body will burn stored fat more effectively if it isn’t ingesting fats
3. Your food will taste better

Here are a few of our favorite grilling recipes you can try if you’re looking to lose weight in 2020 or if you’re just looking for delicious new recipes. 

Grilled Flank Steak with Potato Mustard Salad

Flank steak is a popular cut and is great for grilling: tender, affordable, low in fat. Potatoes — eaten in moderation — won’t derail your weight loss goals. Your body does require carbs — in moderation. The dressing will give the potatoes a delicious kick of flavor without adding calories.  they are very affordable, tender, and has very little fat content (just 8 grams of fat for every 100 grams). Potatoes are complex carbs that give your body its required carbs while the mustard in the dressing gives you that kick of added flavor without any of the guilt.

Gather your ingredients:  

1 ½ lbs small new potatoes
¼ cup chives, chopped, plus additional for garnish
1 tablespoon each: grainy mustard, apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 ¼ lbs flank steak
1 teaspoon ground coriander
Salt and pepper to taste

How to make it

1.  Preheat the grill to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Fill a large pot with about one inch of water and fit this with a steamer basket. Bring the water to a boil. Add potatoes to steamer basket. Steam for about 15 minutes until tender. Set aside and allow it to cool.
3. Make a dry rub for flank steak. Combine coriander, salt and pepper. Rub this over the steak.
4. Grill steak on indirect heat for 3 to 4 minutes per side. Insert a thermometer into the thickest part of the steak. When it reads 130 degrees Fahrenheit, take it off the grill.
5. Cover steak with foil and allow it to rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
6. Prepare dressing for potatoes. Combine chives, mustard, apple cider vinegar and extra virgin olive oil until well blended. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Toss potatoes gently until well-coated.
8. Cut steak and into strips.
9. Serve with the potato salad. (source delish.com)

Barbecued Lime Shrimp and Corn

Lime is rich in Vitamin C, an antioxidant that helps your body flush out toxins and free radicals that can help contribute to weight gain. If you’re using a coal-fueled bbq grill, throw in the orange and lime peels onto the coals and grill the corn directly on top of the coals separately to give it a smoky and citrus scent and taste.

Gather your ingredients 

1/3 cup fresh lime juice
¼ cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons each: low-sodium soy sauce, honey, freshly grated ginger, sugar
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
2 ears of corn, each cut crosswise into 4 pieces
1 ½ lbs. large shrimps, peeled and deveined
4 cups cooked couscous

How to make it

1. In a large bag or bowl, combine the lime juice, orange juice, soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger, sugar, coriander seeds and black pepper.
2. Add shrimp. Let shrimp marinate for at least an hour.
3. Get your outdoor grill fired up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. Transfer the contents of bag or bowl into an aluminum foil pan.
5. Add the corn.
6. Cover the pan with foil.
7. Place this on direct heat and cook for 10 minutes.
8. Serve with couscous. (from livingwell.com)

Grilled Pumpkin and Chicken

Sweet pumpkin and tangy lemon marinade are a delicious, refreshing combination. Replace pumpkin with summer squash or other root vegetable that is in season.

Gather your ingredients 

1 whole large lemon, halved
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
4 medium boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets
1 small pumpkin, cut into wedges
¼ cup fresh chives

How to make it

1. Finely grate 1 tablespoon of lemon zest. Squeeze in 3 tablespoons of lemon juice.
2. Add the olive oil, salt, and pepper and mix well.
3. Transfer 2 tablespoons of the mixture into a cup and set aside.
4. Add chicken breasts into the lemon marinade. Cover and let it marinate for about 15 minutes at room temperature.
5. Preheat grill to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. If you’re using a charcoal fueled outdoor grill, throw in the used lemon half from earlier among the charcoals for added flavor.
6. Place chicken breast and pumpkin wedges on the hot grill.
7. Close the lid and cook for 6 minutes.
8. Slice the remaining lemon half into circles.
9. Open the grill and turn the chicken breasts and pumpkin wedges. Quickly grill the lemon circles and set aside.
10. Cook the pumpkin and chicken breasts another 6 minutes before taking them out from the grill.
11. Let chicken rest for 5 minutes.
12. Cut pumpkin wedges into large chunks.
13. Toss this into the remaining lemon juice marinade.
14. Cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch thick strips. Garnish with the grilled lemon circles, and serve along with the pumpkin chunks. (from delish.com)

Grilled Grouper with Basil-Lime Pistou

In this French version of pesto, lime takes the place of the pine nuts, this gives the dish a refreshing twist and takes off a few calories. If you cannot find grouper, substitute any firm white-meat fish.

Gather your ingredients

 4 6-ounce grouper fillets (about ½ inch thick)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

For the pistou:

1 cup fresh sweet basil leaves
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
½ teaspoon lime zest grated
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

How to make it

1. Add basil, Parmesan cheese, lime zest, lime juice, olive oil, salt and garlic into a food processor. Pulse until it forms a thick, chunky paste.
2. Let it stand 10 minutes.
3. Heat up your outdoor grill and coat the rack lightly with cooking spray.
4. Place the fish on the hot rack.
5. Grill about 4 minutes before turning it over. The fish is done when it flakes away easily with a fork. Set aside.
6. To serve, place a fillet of grouper on a plate. Add a tablespoon of the pistou on top.
7. Serve with a light green salad.

Just because you want to lose weight doesn’t mean you have to deny yourself treats.

Grilled Fruit With Greek Yogurt

Just because you’re trying to lose weight doesn’t mean that you can have a bit of a sweet treat. This healthy dessert will satisfy sugar cravings without guilt.

Gather your ingredients

3 ripe peaches, apples, pineapple, watermelon, figs, pears… or any fruit in season that you love
2 cups plain Greek yogurt or vanilla flavored. You can flavor plain yogurt with a couple drops of vanilla extract
¼ cup honey
Cinnamon powder to taste

How to make it

1.  Preheat the grill.
2. Cut fruit in half or slice (depending on the fruit you’ve chosen).
3. Place peach halves, face down on grill on indirect heat. Place all other cut fruit on indirect heat also
4. Combine Greek yogurt and honey in a small mixing bowl and mix well. Add vanilla if you want.
5. When grill marks are visible on the fruit, turn it over, grill another two minutes.
6. Remove from the grill.
7. To serve, place fruit on a dish with grilled side up.
8. Add a dollop of the Greek yogurt mixture onto the middle of the the fruit.
9. Sprinkle cinnamon powder on top of the yogurt mixture.
10. Garnish with a fresh sprig of mint
11. Serve along with the rest of the Greek yogurt.

What is your favorite grilled, healthy meal? Do you have a go-to?