Summertime Grilling | Video

Michelle San Miguel | 6/27/2012

In just a week, many of us will turn on our barbeques for July fourth celebrations. With plenty of people doing cookouts next week, I spent some time in the kitchen this afternoon learning some healthy ways to grill.

Before you put your meat on the grill this summer, make sure you trim away any excess fat. Medcenter One Registered Dietician Kelly Fisher says a good way to know that a cut of beef and pork is lean is to look for packaging that describes the cut as round or loin.

Then you`re ready to marinate.

"The longer you marinate, the more tender it`s going to get, and with those tougher cuts of meat when they don`t have as much fat in it, marinades really help break down the connective tissues so that it does create a tender, more tender product."

Fisher is quick to point out marinades can be loaded with sodium. Dietary guidelines recommend consuming no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day. That`s why Fisher recommends using salt-free spices or even fruit juices to marinate your food.

"It`s probably one of the hardest things to cut back on because when you start paying attention to how much salt is added to our foods, the more convenient the food is, the more processed it is, the more sodium that`s in it.

Why not throw some produce into your barbeque plans? After all, who doesn`t love to bite into a juicy watermelon on a hot summer day? Before you do, make sure you`ve washed it thoroughly. Fisher says you don`t need to rinse it with soap, a good scrub with hot water should do the trick.

"If you don`t wash it, if there`s any bacteria on the outside when you cut into it you`re just spreading it throughout all the fruit."

Of course, be sure to use different utensils to cut the watermelon from what you used to cut the meat. Otherwise you risk cross contamination.

Fisher also recommends using a thermometer when you`re grilling. Poultry should be cooked to at least 165 degrees and ground meats to at least 160 degrees.

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