Beyond Burgers: Grill On!

Grilling is growing in popularity.  75% of adults own a grill or smoker.  37% of adults in the US plan to purchase a new grill or smoker in 2016 and 30% of grill owners plan to grill more in 2016.  And it’s not just a summer pastime – 61% use their grill year round.   This is healthy news since delicious home-grilled fare often keeps you from eating out – which not only saves money, but saves us extra sugar, salt, fat and calories.  And while we most often think of burgers or steaks on the grill, there are a myriad of ways to enjoy a nutritious meal on the grill if you look beyond burgers.

Expanding your grilling repertoire to include more fresh produce is a great way to work more fruits and veggies into your diet and crowd out less healthful, processed foods.  That might mean grilling portabella mushroom caps in place of a burger (35 calories vs 175 calories) or grilling some salmon.  

Fresher, grilled fruit and vegetable dishes are great alternatives to the standard sides such as creamy potato or pasta salads or fluffy gelatin or fruit-type salads that masquerade as a salad when we all know, they are really a dessert. 

Grilled Coleslaw: grill wedges of cabbage on a hot grill just until lightly charred, then top with a canola-based-mayo creamy dressing and some smoked paprika, or try an 

Orange Vinaigrette: 

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. orange juice
• 1 tsp. dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• salt and pepper to taste

And when it comes to dessert – forget those packaged cookies – grill your dessert! 

Tropical Grilled Angel Food:

• Sliced Angel Food Cake grilled
• Grilled pineapple chunks
• Toasted coconut
• Coconut Sauce: Combine 1 can light coconut milk, 1/4 cup sugar and cook over low heat until reduced and thickened.

Shaking up your grilling routine just might make your dinner table the place to be this season.