  Your appetite is calling for the foods of summer -- juicy charbroiled hamburgers, steaks, and barbecued ribs cooked in the open air. You’ve got the grill and all those cool grilling tools ready to baste, flip, and serve up delights cooked right in your own backyard. Plus, with the economic downturn, kicking back at home and enjoying a home-grilled feast with friends and family sounds more appealing than going out.
So what’s stopping you?
You may have heard the news that grilling increases carcinogens. Or you’re worried about food poisoning in hot weather. Maybe you equate grilling with eating fatty foods that pack on pounds and leave you a lot less healthy. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Good news: nutrition experts say there are easy and health-smart ways to make summer grilling safe, low-fat, and downright delicious.
And we have the recipes to prove it. But first, some health and safety tips.
You need to think about food safety prior to throwing those burgers or steaks on the grill, says Emory University dietitian Cheryl Williams, RD, LD. "Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food. This simple practice is very effective for reducing food borne illnesses," she says. "And to help reduce cross contamination, transfer food to a clean plate once it is thoroughly cooked, using clean utensils (not your hands, even if they are ‘clean’). For example, transfer cooked meat to the dining table in a clean dish, not the unwashed dish you used to carry the raw meat to the grill."
She also advises keeping utensils (such as a basting brush, spatula, and tongs) clean by washing them in hot, soapy water between uses. For extra protection, use one brush for raw meats and another for cooked meats.
Jessica Baye, RD, LD, director of Clinical Nutrition Services at the Medical College of Georgia, points out another way to avoid stomach-upsetting bacterial contamination when you cook out. "Never partially cook meat or poultry and finish cooking it later on the grill. This practice is unsafe because harmful pathogens that may be in the food have not been destroyed," she says.
It is important to keep foods in the refrigerator until you’re about to start cooking, says Sheah Rarback MS, RD, of the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine. Leaving them outside in the heat while you get the grill ready can allow bacteria to grow -- and that can make you sick. "Also, use a meat thermometer to make sure your meat and chicken are cooked to a safe temperature," Rarback says.
You may need an attitude adjustment to get over some unhealthy grilling habits. A case in point: forget about charred food being a necessary part of cooking out. Sure, meat and poultry may seem ready because they are blackened on the outside. "However, because grilled meats, poultry, and even fish are cooked so close to the heat, the outer surface cooks quickly. But it is very possible that the insides are not thoroughly cooked and still harbor harmful bacteria," says Emory’s Williams. She adds that as you char your food you are also increasing potential carcinogens that are produced during grilling.
 And grilling’s link to cancer is a serious concern -- but it’s one you can reduce or eliminate with some planning. Rarback points out that fat dripping on hot coals can cause a cancer promoting chemical called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The solution? Trim all visible fat from meat, and use a drip pan to catch fat before it falls on the coals. And clean your grill (hot soapy water is best) between each use to remove charred food debris. That will reduce your exposure to bacteria and potential carcinogens, such as heterocylic amines (HCAs), which form in meat cooked higher than 400 degrees.
Science has come up with a tasty way to reduce the carcinogens in grilled meat. Marinate them beforehand in a base of corn, canola, or olive oil mixed with herbs like rosemary, oregano, and basil. In fact, a study by researchers at Kansas State University found that marinating meat in antioxidant-rich spice blends can reduce the risk of cancer-causing HCAs forming by more than 80 percent. However, don’t use a marinade that had raw meat in it as a sauce once you serve the cooked food. The marinade could contain harmful bacteria.
Here are the tasty, tempting, and healthy recipes for grilling that we promised you. And, as they show, remember to throw delicious veggies, fish, seafood, and even fruit -- not just steak and burgers -- on the barbie for a sumptuous and healthy outdoor summer feast.
Grilled Salmon: Serves 6Ingredients:
Marinade
6 oz pineapple juice
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 Tbs fresh lime juice
1 tsp low-salt soy sauce
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp canola or corn oil
6 salmon steaks or fillets (4 oz each)
Vegetable oil spray
Cooking Instructions:
Put marinade ingredients in large resealable plastic bag.
Rinse fish, pat dry with paper towel.
Add fish to marinade; seal bag; turn several times to coat.
Refrigerate 15 minutes - 1 hour.
Lightly spray grill & rack with vegetable oil spray.
Preheat grill on medium-high.
Remove fish from marinade; discard the marinade.
Grill fish for 5 to 7 minutes on each side, or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
Nutrition facts (per serving):
133 calories
4 grams fat
Honey Chicken: Serves 4Ingredients:
¼ C vegetable oil
¼ tsp ground black pepper
1/3 C honey
1/3 C soy sauce
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
Cooking instructions:
Wisk together oil, honey, garlic, pepper, and soy sauce.
Remove about a 1/3 of the marinade, and set aside for basting.
Add the chicken to the marinade, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Preheat the grill for medium heat, and lightly oil the grate.
Remove the chicken from the fridge; discard the marinade.
Place the chicken on the grill; cook for 12 - 15 minutes or until juices run clear. Turn and brush with reserved marinade frequently.
Nutrition facts (per serving):
180 calories
6 grams fat
Grilled Pineapple Slices: Serves 8Ingredients:
1 fresh pineapple -- peeled, cored, and cut into rings
¼ C canned light coconut milk
½ C cinnamon sugar
Cooking instructions:
Preheat grill for medium heat, and lightly oil the grate.
Place the coconut milk and cinnamon sugar into separate dishes.
Dip the rings in the milk first, then coat in sugar.
Grill for 6 minutes on each side, remove, and serve
Nutrition facts (per serving):
91 calories
1 gram fat
Grilled Shrimp: Serves 6Ingredients:
3 cloves of garlic
2 Tbs red wine vinegar
1/3 C olive oil
2 Tbs chopped fresh basil
¼ C tomato sauce
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp salt
2 lbs fresh shrimp (peeled & deveined)
Skewers (if using wooden ones -- soak them in water for about 30 minutes prior to use)
Cooking instructions:
Combine all ingredients.
Add shrimp until evenly coated.
Cover and refrigerate for 45 minutes.
Preheat grill for medium heat, and lightly oil grate.
Thread shrimp onto skewers; discard marinade.
Cook for 2 - 3 minutes per side (or until opaque).
Nutritional facts (per serving):
273 calories
2 g fat
Stuffed Grilled Peaches: Serves 4Ingredients:
Four large peaches
1 cup fresh blueberries
3 Tbs brown sugar
One half fresh lemon
Cooking Instructions:
Wash peaches and cut in half.
Remove the pit and place peach halves on aluminum foil.
Spoon 2 Tbs blueberries into each peach half.
Sprinkle 2 tsp brown sugar on each stuffed peach half.
Squeeze lemon juice over top.
Fold up foil and seal tightly.
Place on medium hot grill and cook for about 15 minutes, turning once.
Serve right out of the foil.
Nutrition facts (per serving):
175 calories
0.4 grams fat
Grilled Vegetable Kabobs: Serves 4Ingredients:
8 small mushroom caps
2 small zucchini
1 medium-size yellow bell pepper
1 small red onion
1/4 cup canola oil
1 Tbs chopped fresh basil
1 tsp garlic powder
Vegetable oil spray
Metal food rack suitable for heat
Cooking Instructions:
Cut zucchini into 8 slices.
Cut bell pepper into 3/4 inch pieces.
Cut onion into 1.5 inch pieces.
Thread vegetables evenly onto 12-inch skewers.
Stir together canola oil, basil, and garlic powder.
Reserve 1/2 of canola oil mixture and set aside.
Coat food rack with cooking spray; place on grill over medium-high heat.
Place vegetables on rack.
Grill, with grill lid closed, for 20 - 25 minutes or until vegetables are tender, turning and basting with remaining canola oil mixture every 5 minutes.
Nutrition facts (per serving):
158 calories
13 grams fat
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