Fire up your grills! Whether you are a seasoned veteran of many cook-outs, or just learning how to barbecue like a pro, here are a few tips to help you keep your meals lean and healthy so family members and friends will come back for more.
Don’t be afraid to marinade.
Marinating meats not only adds great flavor, but also can help reduce the formation of heterocyclic amines, substances that could potentially increase the risk of cancer.
Smaller is better.
Portioning meat into smaller cubes or slices can speed up cook time so they have less chance of charring.
Get the temperature right.
The ideal temperatures are 165 degrees for ground poultry, 160 degrees for ground red meats and fresh pork, and 145 degrees for red meat steaks or chops.
Turn down the heat.
Keep the heat down with a low flame to reduce the chances of burning or charring.
Take it off.
Remove any visible fat on meat to reduce flare-ups. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, another potential cancer-causing substance, come from smoke that forms when fat drips from meat onto the grill.
Don’t always think meat.
Vegetables are great grilled, especially onions, corn on the cob, eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms and asparagus, as well as apples, pears, peaches and bananas.
Save time and pre-cook.
Reduce the amount of time on the grill by partially cooking meat in the microwave. Be sure to put the partially cooked meat straight onto the grill to finish cooking.
Keep it clean.
Scrub the grill with a brush before and after grilling.
It’s not just what you grill, but how you grill it that can help make foods healthy, flavorful and safe.
Online Check-in: The Smarter Way to the ER
At Doctors Hospital at White Rock Lake, we understand that waiting in the ER is no fun. That’s why we’re offering an online check-in service at DoctorsHospitalDallas.com/SkiptheERWaitingRoomto reserve your time online and comfortably wait at home. Users enjoy the convenience of choosing where they wait and a projected time to see a health care professional in the ER. Patients can hold their place online by completing an online form and arriving at the hospital at the selected time. Simply go to DoctorsHospitalDallas.com/SkiptheERWaitingRoom; it's quick, easy and you'll be seen by a health care professional within 15 minutes of your scheduled time*.
The hospital’s InQuickER system screens patients whose symptoms may signal a potentially serious condition to make sure they don’t wait to go to the hospital. To learn more about these quality emergency services serving the East Dallas area, visit DoctorsHospitalDallas.com/ER.
* Some restrictions apply.
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Doctors Hospital at White Rock Lake
9400 Poppy Drive
Dallas, TX 75218
214-324-6100
www.doctorshospitaldallas.com