Fire up the grill and let's get cooking
Grilling meat for dinner is an American tradition, yet lately we've been hearing reports that suggest grilling our food may not be the most healthy cooking method. Let's look at the pros and cons:

The positive side of barbecued foods

• Grilling food is a low-fat cooking method, good for folks who are trying to eat less fat.
• The grill is often a quick method to prepare a delicious meal for the family.
• The entire meal can be cooked on the grill, cutting down on dishes to be washed.

The negatives associated with barbecued foods

• Recent research indicates that more potential carcinogens (substances that can cause cancer) are present in grilled foods.
• Fat that drips onto the flames creates smoke that contains polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons -- chemicals in smoke that are potential carcinogens.
• The blackened parts of meat may also contains carcinogens.

How to grill your food and maintain your health
Just because a food contains substances that may cause cancer doesn't mean that everyone who has ever eaten grilled foods will develop cancer as a direct result of that meal. However, it is prudent to reduce exposure to carcinogens as much as possible. If you love to grill, follow these steps for delicious meals that won't hurt your health: