Brain-Healthy Grilling Dos and Don'ts

Use these 8 tips to minimize AGE’s and maximize flavor

Hello, everyone! Here in Jackson, it’s hard to believe that July is right around the corner. I’m still wearing my puffy jacket when riding my bike to the grocery store. Yesterday I got caught in a hail storm so fierce I had to pull over and take shelter under a tree. While summer is slow to arrive in the Tetons, I am not complaining whatsoever. Despite the chill, I am excited to be cooking outdoors.

Grilling is a low-maintenance way to cook in the summer, but it can have unintended negative consequences. As I discussed in the last newsletter, a diet high in AGEs has been linked to cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s, and other neurodegenerative diseases. Avoiding AGEs is a key principle of my brain healthy cooking techniques. 

You don’t have to give up grilling for fear of consuming too many AGEs

I can’t imagine a summer without enjoying my favorite grilled chicken with a side of harissa yogurt sauce, or corn on the cob slathered with avocado butter.

But, grilling can be a disaster when comes to brain-healthy eating. It’s not just the foods that often end up on the grill, such as processed meats, sugar-laden barbecue sauces, and fatty cuts of meat. The fact that grilling relies on high, direct heat means grilled foods are often very high in AGEs. To make grilling more brain friendly, it just takes a little know-how about shopping wisely, prepping foods with care, and managing the heat of the grill. The good news is that grilling foods this way makes them so much tastier.

8 Tips For Brain-Healthy Grilling That Minimizes AGEs