Braai The Healthy Way

Cooking your food over a braai is both fun and tasty, but what about your health? As more and more people are becoming health conscious lately, due to the fact that there are copious amounts of information on how to become healthy, people want to know how to cook healthy. Back in the day people didn’t have resources like the internet and TV to spread the word on health risks. Unfortunately there are health risks to a braai but if you follow certain steps you will be able to avoid these risks

The main concern is cancer. Research shows that there are possible causes of cancer when you cook food on a braai. The reason for that is that when food is cooked over high temperatures over flames certain compounds form that are possible causes of cancer. These compounds mainly form in the fat from meat if cooked over flames and from the smoke formed from the braai. This can be avoided by buying lean meat and cutting excess fat away before you cook it.

Another reason for the risk of cancer when braaing is the marinade you use before you braai. There are certain ingredients that have these compounds in already. To replace these marinades you should rather switch to olive oil and lemon juice. These items can reduce the formation of these compounds. This substitute won't make your meat taste worse but will, in fact, give it extra flavor and tenderness. There are some herbs that also reduce the risk of these compounds forming. These are herbs such as mint, basil, rosemary, thyme and sage. Cooking healthy doesn’t mean you can't have any flavor on your meat; in fact, these herbs make a tasty braai.

The best substitute for meat would be to cook vegetables but obviously that’s taking away the best thing about a braai so cook veggies with your meat. There is also a risk when you cook veggies but only if you over cook them and if they are cooked till they are charred. To make a healthy tasty meal combining veggies and meat you can make kebabs. The vegetables not only add flavor but will keep the moisture in the meat.

You don’t have to give a braaing to follow a healthy lifestyle. Everyone enjoys a good braai so by following a few easy steps you can be healthy and avoid the risk of cancer. There are countless ways to become healthy but it doesn’t mean you have to give up eating food you enjoy, just by adding a good marinade and a few veggies you will still have a tasty braai with a different flavor.

By: Bernd Klingenberg

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