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Healthy You Archives |
Protecting Your Health
‘Look Outs’ for CookoutsSummer is the perfect time to fire up the barbecue grill for relaxed outdoor cooking. But don’t let your warm weather fun get in the way of safety.
A cookout “pro”Bob Pickell of Coopersburg shows how it’s done, as two of his children (Chloe and Tyler) play at a safe distance. Make your grill child-safe: Establish a 3-foot “no-child zone” around it. Use tongs or a spatula instead of a fork, so you won’t pierce the meat and cause fat to drip onto hot coals. Test for leaks along the hose and at all connections between hose and tank. Prevent burns“Grilling is very safe, if you follow a few simple precautions,” says burn surgeon Daniel Lozano, M.D., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network:For gas grills, check for leaks every year. Here’s how: Turn the grill control knobs and propane tank valve off. Mix equal amounts of dish soap and water in a small container, and paint the mix on the hose and tank connections with a small brush. If bubbles appear at any point, there is a leak. Tighten the connections and retest. For charcoal grills, use only charcoal lighter fluid. Never pour gasoline or another accelerant on the briquettes, and never add lighter fluid after the fire is going. When you’re done grilling, don’t dump hot coals on the ground. Even covered with sand or dirt, they stay hot for hours. If using a turkey fryer or deep fryer (at home or elsewhere), let the oil cool before you empty it. If oil catches fire, don’t try to pick up the fryer. Throw baking soda on it or use a chemical extinguisher—never water. Keep food safeSafe grilling also means handling and cooking your food carefully, says registered dietitian Kristi Ruth of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. “When you blacken meat or fish, or allow fat to drip onto hot coals, you might add carcinogens (cancer-causing agents) to your food,” she says. And using the same utensils for raw and cooked foods can spread bacteria. Take these precautions:Cook meat and fish at low temperatures to prevent charring. Slower cooking also helps ensure meat is cooked thoroughly. Choose lean meat and trim off as much fat as possible. To add flavor that may be lost by removing fat, marinate the meat. But never put the marinade from the raw meat back on cooked food. Clean your grill thoroughly before cooking, using hot, soapy water and scraping off food buildup. Place your cooked foods on a clean plate, not the one that held the raw meat.
This page last updated 2/12/08 04:08 PM
ARTICLE TOOLS:
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 July August 2005 Eating Healthy
Staying Fit
Caring for Mind and Body
Just for Women
Just for Men
Raising a Family
Heart of Healthy You
Protecting Your Health
Coping with Illness
Aging Well
Keeping Up to Date
Weight Control
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