Athlete Dads: Why you should grill this Father's Day Weekend

With the summer season here, it is prime grilling time.  And what better weekend to do this than Father's Day weekend? Whether you are the dad taking the lead or the son grilling up something special for the occasion, you are making a great choice! Grilling is a healthy way to prepare food for many reasons.

1. Grilling decreases fat
Instead of cooking in fat, the fat drips off of the food, which decreases the overall fat content of the meat.

2. Grilling retains moisture
Grilling sears the food, which helps retain moisture. This means added fats such as butter are unnecessary, which further helps to reduce total calories.


3. Grilling retains nutrition
Particularly when compared with boiling, grilling is a method of cooking that helps food retain its vitamin and mineral content. This means you get more of the good nutrition that the food had when you brought it home.


Don't just grill the typical hamburger or chicken breast. Challenge yourself to grilling these foods too:
-Fruits, especially pineapple, mango, apple and pear
-Vegetables, especially bell peppers, zucchini, eggplant, onions and tomatoes
-Other LEAN meats such as venison and pork
-Fish, especially shrimp, salmon and tuna steaks
-Pizza! Put your pizza dough with toppings right on the grate - delicious!

Now that you have learned about grilling, try this Grilled Shrimp and Vegetable Kabob recipe:

Ingredients
6 oz. large raw shrimp (about 10 to 12 pieces)
1 zucchini
1 yellow squash
6 button mushrooms
1 red bell pepper
extra virgin olive oil
1 T sea salt
2 T spices of choice such as dried parsley, basil, oregano and black pepper

Soak about 6 bamboo sticks in water beforehand.

Prepare your shrimp and vegetables by deveining the shrimp and cutting your vegetables into chunks or large slices that you can pierce with your bamboo sticks. Place all your ingredients into a large bowl and then drizzle with olive oil to coat well. Season with salt and your spices. Mix all the ingredients together to make sure they’re all coated with the oil and seasoning.

Arrange the ingredients onto your bamboo sticks. Then place on a grill with medium heat. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side, depending on your heat. You’ll see the shrimp turn into an opaque white color.

Makes 6 servings. Serve with mango salsa or grilled corn on the cobbs.

TIP: With shrimp, you can leave the shell on or not, depending on your preference. Leaving the shell on will help the shrimp retain moisture and not burn on the grill. But it does mean more work when eating.


Be Extraordinary,


RDKate


Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/thescottclan/

Recipe modified from: http://singleguychef.blogspot.com/2007/05/grilled-shrimp-and-vegetable-kabobs.html