Want to avoid getting ill over the summer season? Making sure your BBQ is totally health-proof could make all the difference. Here's how to dodge food-related illness every time you eat al fresco.
According to the Food Standards Agency, the UK sees an extra 120,000 cases of food poisoning between June and August. To avoid getting ill, always store, prepare and cook food properly. Keep raw meat in separate, sealed containers in cooler bags with ice and away from cooked food. When it's time to cook, use different utensils and plates for raw and cooked foods. Never put leftover marinade used for raw meat on cooked food, and make sure poultry, burgers and sausages are cooked thoroughly until piping hot and the juices run clear. Always wash your hands before preparing food, after touching raw and cooked meat and before eating, or keep a pack of antiseptic wipes handy. For more tips, visit nhs.uk
As well as an unpleasant taste, lab tests show that cancer-causing chemicals form when meat is burnt or charred, so make sure food is cooked properly, but not black on the outside. When the coals are grey, they are hot enough to cook on. Partly cooking food in the oven before finishing it o on the barbecue means you're more likely to get evenly cooked food but still with lovely aromatic flavours. Meanwhile, add herbs to marinades – studies have found that adding rosemary to grilled meat helps to reduce cancer-causing compounds by up to 90%.
Meat is the main event at most barbecues, pushing up your intake of fat, especially saturates. Burgers and sausages are the worst o enders, so opt for low-fat versions (or make your own burgers with extra lean beef mince or turkey mince). Keep portions sizes small, too. An easy way to reduce the amount of meat is to make skewers, alternating small chunks of meat with lots of veg. Lean pork contains the least fat – just 4%, compared with 8% in lean lamb. Try chicken, turkey, salmon, mackerel, fresh sardines, white fish, prawns and tofu, too – they're all lower in saturated fat – and add aubergine, courgettes, peppers, asparagus, corn on the cob and mushrooms to the grill to provide filling fibre and an array of antioxidants. Take a look at our tasty burger recipe!
Bowlfuls of crisps and tortillas, creamy dips, cheese, mayo-laden coleslaw and potato and pasta salads are packed with calories. White rolls and French bread are low in nutrients and fibre, so won't fill you up, while most relishes and ketchup are packed with salt and sugar. Instead, serve with wholegrain rolls, jacket potatoes, fresh salad, Greek salad (made with reduced-fat feta) or rice salad without mayo. Provide healthier nibbles, such as vegetable crudités and wholemeal pitta with lower-fat dips, such as salsa or tzatziki.
Get Your Barbie Gleaming
'Clean your barbecue after each use and make sure it's bone dry before covering,' says Lauren Sheridan (leisuregrow.com/bbqs). Tackle a grubby grill with hot, soapy water and a wire bristle brush, or try Landmann BBQ Cleaning Wipes (£4.99, from Waitrose).