Heart Healthy Eating: The Guide to Grilling an Entire Meal

One of the greatest concerns for many people during the post hospitalization recovery period after heart bypass surgery is changing the dietary habits in hopes of losing weight. Before a heart attack, many people fell into the trap of simply frying meats and vegetables so that they could quickly cook a meal and eat so that they could quickly move on to some other activity during the day. This method of cooking got the job done but isn't altogether healthy for the healthy function of the human heart. Following my father's heart attack and bypass surgery, we began looking at other ways to prepare our meals. One of the best ways we found for preparing meals is grilling. Here is the guide to grilling an entire meal as part of a heart healthy diet.

One of the most commonly grilled foods is meats. In the wake of my father's heart attack and bypass surgery, we found that most of the dietary guidelines recommended lean meats such as fish and poultry which are rich in omega 3 fatty acids and low in fat and salt content. These meats taste excellent when cooked on the grill anyway, so this wasn't much of an adaptation to our lifestyle habits. My family has always loved ham and other pork meats. Grilling center cut pork meats such as ham, pork loin, and pork chops channels away a most of the internal fats of pork. Before you grill pork, be sure to trip away most of the visible fat from the outer edges of the meat.

Vegetables can also be grilled. Grilling vegetables seals in the natural juices of the vegetable which are excellent sources of essential dietary vitamins, minerals, and omega 3 fatty acids use a little butter, a little canola oil, and wrap your vegetables in aluminum foil before grilling to seal in the delicious flavor and taste of your favorite seasonings. You can even steam vegetables on the grill. Place the vegetables in a covered durable double boiler. Fill the bottom portion of the boiler with water and set over medium heat or on the burner of the grill and steam the vegetables to perfection.