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Six Grill-Ready Foods Recommended by Dietitians

This is for you!

By Shashi ThennakoonPublished 2 years ago 6 min read
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Why stay inside your kitchen when the longer days and cooler evenings are the ideal excuse to fire up the grill? But it's time to think outside the bun and see your grill as an incredibly adaptable cooking method that's prepared to prepare all kinds of food, from salty cheese to fruit, for the benefit of a more varied palate—and, as an added bonus, enhanced nutrition. Once you catch the alternative food grill bug, you'll begin evaluating every item in the grocery store and farmer's market in terms of whether it will grill. The following foods will get you started.

Tofu

Tofu tastes more meaty when it is grilled, which is a guaranteed technique to enhance the flavor of the plant-based protein. Additionally, a few studies have associated eating soy products like tofu with lower blood pressure, better cholesterol readings, and possibly a lower risk of contracting specific diseases including breast and ovarian cancer. Many of the health advantages of tofu are thought to be caused by isoflavones, which are plant-based substances found in soy, as well as possibly something peculiar about soy protein.

Tofu also contains significant levels of these minerals, depending on the coagulant employed during manufacture, such as calcium sulfate or magnesium chloride (referred to as nigari). Use extra-firm tofu while grilling so that it will stay put on the grill grate.

How to Grill Tofu

1. Cut a block of drained tofu into two slabs along its width.

2. Use a few paper towel sheets to line a cutting board. Add some tofu chunks and a few more paper towels to the top. To remove any extra liquid, press lightly.

3. Brush oil on both sides and sprinkle salt and pepper on both. The slabs can also be seasoned with additional seasonings like curry powder or za'atar, or tofu can be marinated for many hours like meat before grilling.

4.Grill tofu for four minutes on each side over medium-high heat on greased grill grates, or until golden. Halfway through cooking each side, turn the tofu 90 degrees to create a lovely cross-hatch pattern.

Halloumi

Halloumi, a salty and entertaining cheese that is also known as "grilling cheese," is a typical dairy in Cyprus and a well-liked protein in many Middle Eastern nations. Halloumi that is semi-hard has a high melting point and won't ooze through the grill grates; instead, it will develop a crispy outside and a velvety interior while maintaining its shape.

Halloumi, which is traditionally produced with a mixture of sheep and goat milk, has roughly the same amount of bone-friendly calcium and muscle-building, appetite-suppressing protein in each one-ounce meal as grilled chicken breast. Just be aware that it does include a good amount of salt and saturated fat, so resist the urge to eat the whole block. Grilled halloumi is a great complement to summer salads, tacos, and pasta salads because of its mouthwatering chewy bite. Even better, you can top it off with your preferred toppings and serve it on a bun just like a burger.

Typically, buying halloumi from Greek or Middle Eastern grocery stores results in the lowest price.

How to Grill Halloumi

1. Turn a block of halloumi upside down and cut into two substantial slabs.

2. Brush with oil and grill for 1 to 2 minutes per side, or until browned and grill marks appear on both sides.

Alternately, you may chop the halloumi into 1-inch pieces and skewer it like a kebab.

Avocado

The avocado's flesh becomes exceptionally creamy and somewhat smokey when it is grilled. Additionally, the fruit adds a hefty dose of fiber, monounsaturated fat, vitamin K, and folate to your summertime diet. In a randomized trial, a group of Penn State researchers discovered that participants who consumed an avocado every day had better diets over the course of the six-month study period and saw improvements in their cholesterol levels.

How to Grill Avocado

1. Halve your ripe avocado, scoop out the seed, brush the flesh with oil, and season with salt.

2. Grill the meat flesh-side down for 5 to 7 minutes, or until it has excellent grill marks.

3. You may utilize the avocado in a variety of ways once it has come off the grill. Slice the flesh and add it to sandwiches, burgers, and tacos. Scoop out the flesh and use it to make guacamole. Alternately, assemble salsa and feta or queso fresco crumbles inside the cavity of a grilled avocado.

Kale

Look no further than the grill to improve your summer salad game. Like the usual suspects in the vegetable department, robust kale can also profit from a little char.

According to a new study published in the journal Neurology, those who consumed the most leafy greens daily—an average of 1.3 servings—had brains that shown fewer indications of aging. Dark green vegetables like kale are incredibly abundant in lutein and other carotenoid antioxidants that can help you think more clearly.

When lighting up the grill, you should select Tuscan (dinosaur) kale since its hardy flat leaves are less likely to burn than curly kale, whose margins are more likely to singe.

How to Grill Kale

1. Trim the tough ends off a bunch of Tuscan kale, then mix it with oil in a bowl.

2. Grill kale in batches for 2 minutes, rotating once, until it starts to get a little crispy and darkens in a few spots.

Put the kale, other vegetables, and dressing in a big bowl after chopping it into 2-inch pieces.

Mussels

Since mussels don't run the risk of the tragic sticking that may occur with fish like salmon, you might be surprised at how simple it is to grill them. And something magical happens when their brininess combines with the grill's smoke.

These shellfish are not only reasonably priced, nutrient-dense, and high in protein, vitamin B12, and heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, but they are also among the most sustainably caught seafood selections available.

How to Grill Mussels

1. Prepare a medium-hot charcoal fire or bring a gas grill to a medium-high temperature.

2. Place mussels in a sizable dish of ice water, give them a toss, and then drain. Any that are open and don't close when tapped should be discarded.

3.Seal the lid on the grill basket, add the mussels, and cook until the shells split open (4 to 6 minutes). If grilling two or more pounds of mussels, do this in batches.

4.Take the mussels off the grill and put them in a big bowl. Throw away any that didn't open.

5.Glaze liberally with lemon juice and top with a sprinkling of fresh parsley.

Peaches

Naturally occurring fruit sugars take on a beautiful golden hue and a rich, caramel-like flavor when cooked. When peaches are grilled, their toasted, sweet, caramelized exterior contrasts with the soft interior to produce an entirely new flavor profile that is simply tempting.

Consuming more of this iconic summer fruit allows you to stock up on antioxidants that are good for the body and vitamin C that supports the immune system.

How to Grill Peaches

1. Halve the peaches, remove the pits, and lightly oil the flesh sides.

2.Grill over medium heat, turning once, for about 5 minutes, or until tender and some dark markings show.

3. You may make your peaches into a nutritious snack or dessert once you remove them from the grill. Just sprinkle some Greek yogurt and chopped pistachios on top. Alternately, cut up grilled peaches and include them into taco and meat salsas.

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