Hot dogs, hamburgers, brats, I love them all. These foods and various other red meats are usually what people associate with grilling. But what I am here to tell you is that there is a healthy and tasty alternative to these foods. Through the next few paragraphs I would like you to follow me on a journey of healthy foods that with your loving touch, can quickly become the family's grill favorites.

Lets Talk Meat

Did you know that just one 1/4lb beef burger made with 95% lean beef has almost 10g of fat, or that a 6oz round steak with all the fat you can see trimmed off has 12g of fat? I didn't know that either until my wife made me research it for my health. I was forced to look for alternatives to grilling my favorite foods and I found them. For instance, a 6oz Salmon fillet cooked on the grill the same as that burger has 1/3 less fat at 8g, but double the protein at 43g. For you guys out there that can't let go of the steak, why not try a tuna steak. A 6oz tuna steak has only 8g of fat but carries a whopping 40g of protein with it. For those of you not into fish why not try grilling a 5oz chicken breast. At only 6g of fat and 29g of protein it is by far a healthier alternative to eating red meat all the time. Now that you have learned some of the meats you can make lets move on to the vegetables.

Vegetables can be grilled too

I often would shy away from vegetables that my wife would steam and set at the table. So she got the bright idea one day to let me grill the vegetables, and it turns out I like them better. Zucchini for instance is a great grill vegetable. One large Zucchini grilled will yield you only 1g of fat, but gives you 93% of your daily value of vitamin C, not to mention 14% vitamin A. Asparagus is another great grilled vegetable yielding 3g of protien with not fat. But by far my favorite is grilled corn on the cob. Not only does it come out sweet, but it packs away 12% of your dietary fiber for the day. Green peppers are also another one of my favorites. Now that you have learned what vegetables to grill lets move on to some meal ideas for Healthy Grilling.

Meal Ideas

So we have discussed some meats and some vegetables to cook, but how do you make a meal of it all? Well that is for you to mix and match to your taste buds, but as for me I like a few of the following matchups. Grilling Salmon and asparagus next to each other mixes some wonderful smells and tastes. Add a little sticky rice and you have yourself a delicious meal. While a tuna steak with a zucchini side can be filling on its own, try adding a baked potato to complete the meal. Chicken breasts can be a great main course, but what I like to do is strip the chicken and put it in a tin foil pouch with green peppers, red peppers, and onion to make a grilled stir fry. Add a little rice on the side, maybe even a salad, and your boring old chicken breast has become a tantalizing grilled meal.