It’s the time of year again that we all dread… New Year’s resolution time. We have all just barely managed to scrape through the season of giving and are now faced with making a promise or setting a personal goal which will, or should, define the coming New Year. Let’s be honest, that’s a lot of pressure. And no one sets out to lie to themselves about turning over a new leaf or making a greater effort, but we do however seem to select some pretty lofty goals for ourselves. But this year can be different, and the reason is simple. You are going to make a great resolution but also one that you can keep for the entire year! Resolve to grill more of your food in 2018!

This might sound like a rather simple and even silly promise to make to yourself, but in reality it is anything but silly. As a population, Americans are a very unhealthy bunch when it comes to what we choose to eat. The USDA reported that on average each American consumes between 150 and 170 pounds of sugar per year. In addition we eat more processed foods, fats and calories than any other nation. This New Year’s resolution is not going to correct all of your bad eating habits but it is going to provide you with some great health benefits without having to starve yourself or completely alter your daily diet.


THE BENEFITS OF GRILLING

  • Grilling is a simple and effective way to eat less fat. When you grill the fat drips off of your food and you are naturally consuming less of grease and fat than you would using other cooking methods.
  • Grilled vegetables are better for you because grilling allows them to maintain more vitamins and minerals. In addition, vegetables that are grilled are most often fresh and in season which means that they offer far better nutritional value than their canned or frozen counterparts.
  • There is actually a nutritional benefit to grilling meat. When a piece of meat is placed over a fire that process preserves the riboflavin (this is also known as B12) and thiamine (this is also known as B1) in the meat. Both of these are important nutrients that you need to have in your diet.
  • Grilling naturally helps to preserve the moisture in meat and that means that you are using less butter. Not only is this reducing the calories that you are consuming but it is also good for lowering your cholesterol and eliminating processed products that are found in some butter and margarine.
  • Grilling occurs outdoors which is always good for your health. Not only are you getting the benefit of fresh air and sunlight but you are also more inclined to be active when you are outside. Inside, you watch television or read emails while you wait for your food to cook. But outside you are more prone to toss a ball with your child or play fetch with your dog. You might even be inclined to simply walk around your yard and enjoy the beauty of your landscaping.

So in 2018 try to commit to just taking one tiny step in the right direction by resolving to grill more of your meals. This can even lead to other simple steps such as trying healthy alternative meals such as substituting tuna for a burger or adding chicken to a vegetable medley instead of eating a steak and baked potato. You might even find that grilling is a part of the Arizona lifestyle which you want to embrace by building a new outdoor kitchen so that you can enjoy healthy grilling year round.