Summertime Barbeque Central: Tips to Make the Most of it!
Have you gotten the grill out yet? There’s nothing like firing it up and enjoying a meat-centric meal outdoors with your loved ones, from barbeque to cookout. But we’re here with an important dietary message: don’t fear red meat! We’ll explain why this oft-demonized category of deliciousness is frequently maligned in the media, and why you can enhance your health and wellbeing by being conscientious about red meat consumption without giving it up.
Curbing Carcinogens with Smarter Choices
Many studies come out in the news cycle year after year declaring the negatives of red meat like beef, lamb, and mutton. Rates of colorectal cancer are increasing, but what many of these studies don’t account for is overall lifestyle and the kind of red meats consumed. There is a big difference between grass-fed and finished (often listed as 100% grass-fed) beef and factory-farmed, processed meats. Avoiding nitrites and nitrates by skipping the deli meats and choosing healthier sourced options, as well as a diverse range of cuts, can improve your health. Red meat is chock-full of minerals and vitamins. Adding cuts like shank, tongue, and offal (like liver and tripe) has been essential to the diets of some of the healthiest populations in the world for millennia. You can get your protein fix without guilt by cutting the ultra-processed products and focusing on clean and natural parts of the animal. Another option is to visit hunting shops and farmer’s markets. Not only is it more humane, with ethically raised animals that live their best lives before slaughter, but you can also get a wider variety of meats for the whole family to enjoy. Bison, rabbit, goat, and venison are all a much smarter choice than grocery store beef and make for unique and delicious meals! Enjoy gamey flavor with bison burgers, make a goat curry for a foreign flair, and enjoy the low-fat goodness of rabbit with root vegetables.
Other Cooking Methods
High heat can cause the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) which lead to oxidative stress. Invest in a meat thermometer and ensure you’re not eating burnt bits of meat off the grill if you’re worried about the negative effects. Slow cooking on a low flame is also a wonderful way to ensure you meet your protein requirements while making the most of tougher cuts that are filled with collagen and glycine for anti-inflammatory benefits. Don’t feel guilty about indulging in the burger: balanced macronutrients and healthier meat give your body the energy it needs to thrive, while enabling you to even cut back on calories!
Skip Stressing
One of the main factors in negative health outcomes is chronically high levels of stress. Worrying about what you’re eating during the summertime when you should be enjoying yourself is a recipe for too much food noise and unnecessary stress. Enjoy an indulgence knowing that red meat has been all too maligned in the media, without any guilt.
Picking Protein
When it comes to red meat, some things are easier to buy and source without worry. Lamb sold in the United States is pastured, meaning the animal itself went through far less stress in its lifetime. If your area has West Indian restaurants, catering with some goat is a great choice too: this rarer meat in the States is low in fat while still containing plenty of nutrients with a unique flavor. In general when you’re choosing your meat, focus on the minimally processed options: a packet of minced meat, bone-in cuts, and marrow are all great choices. Protein is essential for your body in so many ways, so don’t worry about perfection: eat your fill with the same natural and organic meals our early ancestors ate. Protein powders and plant extracts may be appealing, but the price you pay for potential gut irritation is not worth choosing a processed option for a nutritious meal you can enjoy with your loved ones. And if you have had trouble digesting meat in the past, a shot of apple cider vinegar before your meal can help your stomach acclimate so you can reap the rewards of branching out beyond muscle meats! Striving for balance will enable you to be consistent rather than worrying about perfection, so enjoy that hamburger and have a healthy summer!