Local Eats

becoming a Grill Master

Written by Amanda Ament | Registered Dietitian of Heritage Health

Once upon a time, I walked into Costco for a specific item and came out having only purchased the intended item.… said no one ever.

My recent transgression was walking into Costco for a pair of $30 running shoes and walking out with the running shoes… and a brand-new pellet grill from a very popular brand. Oops.

What can I say? This brand is only featured at Costco a few times a year and I happened to stumble upon one of their events when I only get to the store once every 2-3 months. It was fate! I also justified it because my husband and I have been looking for a new grill for a while now. We’d been comparing prices, features, longevity, ratings – the whole gamut. Now, we have this fancy grill that we get to bring in BBQ season with!

That got me thinking about some of my favorite grilling go-to’s that are both delicious and healthy. Here are some tips and ideas to add and build off of that little something extra to your meal.

Season your grillable with items that have other health benefits. Rub fresh minced garlic onto into chicken and take advantage of the positive cardiovascular side effects. Season your pork chops with cumin, paprika, and chili powder to get in some extra vitamins, minerals, and flavor. Sprinkle cinnamon onto the fruit of your choice and take advantage of its anti-clotting and antimicrobial properties.

Get creative with veggies. Make some skewers with a rainbow of color – red, orange, yellow, and green bell peppers, red onions… mix it up by adding some pineapple chunks for a dash of sweetness. Halve a head of romaine lettuce, brush with avocado or canola oil (these have higher smoke points than olive), lightly grill, and end by topping it with your favorite salad fixings.

Don’t forget the dessert! Grab your favorite stone fruit (peaches, apricots, or nectarines), cut in half, throw on the grill for 3-4 minutes until you see some beautiful grate marks, remove, and top with a dollop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Slice up watermelon, drizzle with olive oil and balsamic reduction, season with salt, and leave on for about 10 minutes or until you see grill marks develop.

While making delicious things is important, it’s no good if you end up getting sick from it! Food safety is critical. Be sure things are cooked to the minimum safe internal

temperatures to minimize the chance of foodborne illness. I like my medium-rare steak as much as the next person, but know that it does come with a higher risk. Plant-based proteins, fruits, and vegetables do not have a minimum temperature requirement.

FOOD MINIMUM INTERNAL TEMPERATURE

Whole or ground turkey, chicken, and duck; precooked ham; leftovers 165°F

Ground beef, veal, and lamb; egg dishes; pork 160°F

Fresh beef, veal, and lamb steaks, roasts and chops; fresh pork (including ham that isn’t pre-cooked); fish 145°F and rest for 3 minutes to finish cooking

Shrimp, lobster, crab, and scallops Cook until flesh is opaque and pearly or white

Clams, oysters, mussels Cook until the shell opens

Minimum cooking temps are according to foodsafety.gov. Lastly, some research studies have shown that consuming charred (partially burnt/blackened) meats frequently can increase the risk of cancer (especially pancreatic). To summarize in the most basic form, this is because carcinogenic compounds called HCAs and PAHs are formed as a result of animal protein being charred, burned, and overcooked.

This can especially occur in items like hamburgers, processed meats (hot dogs, brats, bacon), and smoked meats (pulled pork, pork ribs). To lower this risk, trim off excess/visible fat (including chicken skin). Cook items to avoid charring (center items on the grill and ignite only side burners or use coals to the side). Be conscientious of choosing to eat items that aren’t charred most of the time. To eliminate this risk (at least based on current research), try choosing plant-based items such as veggie burgers, portobello mushroom caps, or black bean burgers, as these don’t contain the fats or proteins that cause the known issues.

I hope some of these ideas spur your creativity while keeping you safe and healthy!

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Joya, owner of Sweat Nourish Bloom,

is a nutritionist and personal trainer who’s passion is helping people become all they were created to be. She believes that by incorporating sweat (movement), nourishment (mind, body, and spirit), then you will B L O O M in every area of your life.

I have created a training ebook called SWEAT that incorporates weight lifting and high intensity interval training in only 20 minutes or less a day. I think many of us can become overwhelmed with the thought of adding an hour of exercise every day after everything else going on in our lives if we want to see any progress which is just not true! I used to be that person who thought they needed hours of exercise to see progress until I became a mother and that simply was just not possible.. at least without sacrificing sleep, which wasn’t going to happen!! This is why I created this program, for mothers and other people who are busy! It can be done at home or the gym which is also convenient for mothers. 20 minutes of HIIT and weightlifting will help you get your SWEAT on so that you can get back to snuggling your babies, and/or grinding in all the other areas of your lives.

sweat nourish bloom

setting up your home gym WITH JOYA!

The thought of setting up a home gym

can be overwhelming to some, but it doesn’t have to be. Working out from home can be the one missing key to success. There are many benefits to working out from home like being able to save time by skipping the commute to the gym and by saving money. A gym has so many amazing benefits that I, myself love to utilize but for some, working out from home can work better for their schedules and budgets. If you are feeling intimidated on how to get started, I am here to tell you that it is much easier than you might think.

Setting up your home “gym” or workout space can be as simple and inexpensive or as extravagant as you want. Here are the steps to create your best home exercise space.

Step 1: Designate a space

This could be your bedroom, your office, living room, garage, etc. You only need a small amount of space to exercise. I exercise in my bedroom and it works best for me.

Step 2: Follow a plan

Whether going to the gym, or working out from home it is very important to follow a plan to ensure success. It’s so easy to just start lifting weights and take lots of breaks, but you’re going to make it a lot further by following a specially designed plan for whatever you’re trying to accomplish. This is where my 20-min-workout ebook would come into play. There are also hundreds of online plans to choose from. Choose one and complete it. Then, do it again, or choose a new plan to follow.

Step 3: Prepare/ Get appropriate equipment

After choosing a plan you will want to make sure you have the proper equipment to complete it. Most plans only require a few items and some only require your body weight. For my SWEAT ebook you will need a pair of light, medium, and heavy dumbbells.

Step 4: Stick to the plan

After choosing a plan, commit to following the plan without missing a workout. For example, if the plan has 3 workouts a week for 8 weeks, complete the 3 workouts a week for 8 weeks. Being consistent will get you results.

Make sure to do proper warm up and cool down exercises to ensure safety such as:

WARM UP

10 body weight squats 10 body weight lunges each side 10 inchworms 10 arm circles forward and back 10 jumping jacks

COOL DOWN

30 sec down dog 30 sec child’s pose 30 sec seated toe reach 30 sec butterfly stretch 30 sec standing hip flexor stretch each side 30 sec quad stretch each side

I hope these tips for setting up a home workout space are helpful! Happy exercising! Joya

Get your SWEAT ebook here > sweatnourishbloom.com