Why you should marinate your meat before grilling it

Summer is in full swing, which means you’re probably putting your outdoor grills to work while cooking up some of your favorite grilled meats. We all know that when grilling meat, fish or poultry, the important thing is the marinade. You may think the sole purpose of marinating meat before cooking is to improve flavor, but there are actually health benefits associated with marinating meat that go beyond satisfying your taste buds.

So this is what you know. A marinade acts as a tenderizer and brings out the natural flavors of the meat before grilling. What you may not know is that marinating is one of the most effective ways to reduce the formation of cancer-causing compounds, known as heterocyclic amines (HCAs). These compounds are produced when meat is cooked at high temperatures, such as on the grill. Marinades can reduce the formation of these carcinogenic compounds by up to 99%. You can even increase this benefit by adding rosemary to your marinade. This herb contains the antioxidant carnosol, which has some specific anti-cancer properties.

Although it is not clear why marinating meat before grilling effectively removes HCAs, it is believed that the marinade acts as a barrier between the meat and direct flames. The cancer-fighting power of marinades may also lie in the type of ingredients used. Vinegar, citrus juices, herbs, spices, olive oil, and safflower oil are common marinade ingredients that appear to help prevent HCA formation. These acidic ingredients appear to slow the growth of harmful bacteria, such as listeria, tenderize meat to make the protein easily digestible, and moisten the meat, preventing it from becoming tough.

If you’re someone who never uses pickles, now is the time to start! Eating healthy doesn’t mean your food has to be bland and bland, especially now that you know marinades do great things for your health. There are countless ingredients that can be used to create healthy and flavorful marinades for any type of meat, fish or poultry. Start creating the perfect marinade by first knowing the basic ingredients:

1 part acid (vinegar, citrus juice, yogurt)

1 part oil (olive, canola, safflower)

2 parts aromatics (herbs and spices)

Salt and sugar to taste (can be substituted with low sodium soy sauce and/or honey)

This is a ratio you can always refer to when creating your marinade. To keep the calorie count low and avoid leftover marinade, only use about ½ cup of marinade for every pound of food, unless you have large pieces that require a little more. Full immersion is not necessary, but the food should be turned from time to time, so that all surfaces are in contact with the marinade long enough to benefit. Use non-metal containers or resealable plastic bags to store marinated foods. You may also want to marinate your vegetables to add extra flavor. If this is the case, always make sure to keep the vegetable marinade separate from the meat marinade, to avoid cross-contamination of bacteria. Also note that if you’re making skewers, keep the vegetables on their own skewer, as meat generally requires longer cooking times.

There has never been a more delicious way to prevent cancerous compounds than marinating. The sky is the limit when creating a flavorful marinade. So get creative! Use a variety of herbs and spices to add a natural flavor to your marinade. Yogurt in a marinade is believed to tenderize meats and help balance sweet and spicy flavors in marinades. While it’s best to use herbs and spices, if you’re going to add salt to your marinade, don’t add it until just before cooking the meat, as the salt will draw out moisture and create a tough, dry meat.