Cooking Outdoors

Warm summer days are fast approaching and what better way to spend those days then outdoors with your loved ones, friends and family, and great food.

Braaiing on a grill can be done indoors and outdoors and is an acceptable method of cooking no matter the time of the year.

It is also often a method of cooking that is overlooked for the healthy option that it can actually be. Perhaps now is the perfect opportunity to have a closer look at the way in which you prepare your food.

Health Benefits to Grilled Food

There are many benefits to grilling your food versus cooking it on your stove top in your kitchen. Here are a few of the benefits which will be followed by a delicious summer recipe.

Veggies on the grill are better for you

Veggies that are prepared in some tin foil or just thrown on the grill are generally more fresh and in season and definitely a step above the usual canned veggies that are available. What few people know is that veggies also retain more of their nutritional value when they aren’t boiled or fried. Therefore, making this method of preparation more nutritionally advantageous.

Less Fat

The fats from the meat drip through the grill and don’t lie in the pan only to be absorbed again. Just imagine cooking that piece of steak on the grill. As it cooks the fat drips through the grill, compared to preparing that same steak in a pan. The fat this time has no-where to go and ends up getting re-absorbed into your steak.

Greater variety of flavours

A grill locks in the flavour of the foods that you choose to prepare, having said this you end up using less butter and/oils compared to what you would use when cooking on your stove top. There is also a smoky flavour to your meat that you can’t get from the kitchen. You can use a variety of spices and marinades making each dish more unique.

Meat retains its nutrients

Cooking on a stovetop or in a microwave, can lead to your food being overcooked and the vitamins, minerals and proteins are then damaged. Grilling allows your food to retain most of its nutrients, hence why the flavours are generally greater.

Gets you outdoors

Being outside while standing around the grill with your family and friends, generally encourages healthier behaviour options such as playing a simple game or Frisbee in the garden or taking out a set of dominoes and playing it around the table while the meat and veggies are grilling. These activates mean that we enjoy the fresh air and sunlight and we all know that is beneficial to our health and well-being.

Grills and Cooking

Creative Living offer four different outdoor grill options.

What better way to get started than with a Portable Grill BBQ.

One of the greatest things about having an indoor/outdoor BBQ is that you have a chance to relax while you are entertaining. Besides being fun to be surrounded by everyone, it is a fantastic way to celebrate family growth (new additions) or even to get to meet new friends, and it’s healthy for you as well.

Summertime, pool, picnics and grilling go hand in hand, so get your summer on and plan your next braai.