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Grilling At Home: A Healthy, Economical Way To Get The Most Out Of Summer

Summertime Socializing

With summertime here, many people move their indoor activities outdoors, including mealtime. While a casual dinner with friends, family barbecue or neighborhood potluck can make for a great social occasion, it takes smart meal planning and grilling know-how to keep the fun alive while watching the waistline.

Firing Things Up At Home

According to a recent "Affordable Meals Survey" conducted by the National Pork Board, seven out of 10 Americans are cooking at home to save money.1 When looking for affordable meal options, look no further than pork, one of the best values in the meat case - from pork shoulder to chops to ground pork - all are great grilling options.

This summer, fire up your backyard grill while keeping the following tips in mind:

  • Purchase the Freshest Produce: Head to the local grocer or nearest farmers market to pick up fresh, seasonal produce, bursting with flavor and nutrients. From asparagus and strawberries, to tomatoes and fresh herbs, grilled pork pairs well with a variety of seasonal options.
  • Pair Wisely: Marry one food group with another on the grill. For example, top lean pork tenderloin with grilled fruit like pineapple and peaches or try pork tenderloin kabobs with fresh mushrooms, onions, peppers and tomatoes to create either a sweet or savory sensation.
  • Dress up Desserts: Satisfy your sweet tooth with dark chocolate-drizzled grilled fruit. Dark chocolate, often lower in sugar and higher in antioxidants than milk chocolate, is good nutrition bang for your buck that is sure to tantalize the taste buds.

Eat For Your Health

One of the best pleasures in life is food, and choosing healthy foods makes for an all-around win-win dining experience.

With so many lean cuts of pork to choose from – including two NEW lean cuts – pork is the perfect mealtime option. Significantly leaner today than it was just a few decades ago, pork is on par with the nutrient profile of a skinless chicken breast (a 3-ounce serving of pork tenderloin contains 120 calories and 2.98 grams of total fat).2

The National Pork Board offers the following guidelines to help you choose the perfect cut of pork:

  • Pocket Roast (NEW!)*: Leaner than a skinless chicken breast with just 2 grams of fat per serving, the new Pocket Roast is great prepared as a small roast or cooked with moist heat. It is available now at Costco stores nationwide.
  • Pork Breast (NEW!)*: The breast is perfect for a moist crockery preparation but also enjoyed on the grill. Be it teriyaki Asian stir-fry, pork Caesar salad or pork Marsala, the multifaceted, striated Pork Breast is ideal for everything. This cut is available at Costco or from the Schwans home delivery service.
  • Pork Tenderloin: As lean as skinless chicken breast, the tenderloin couldn’t be more versatile. Grilled pork tenderloin is quick and easy to prepare with marinades, rubs or seasoned with just salt and pepper.
  • Boneless Loin Chop: Containing no tenderloin meat, this popular cut is a breeze to prepare. It is great when braised and grilled.
  • Center Loin Chop: Distinguished by its t-shaped bone.
  • Center Rib Chop: Originated from the center of the loin, this cut can be distinguished by the visible rib bone and large piece of loin meat.
  • Top Loin Roast: Delicious when brined or rubbed with a spice mixture and barbecued over indirect heat. Take note that it is generally best not to braise or stew loin roasts as they tend to lose tenderness and fall apart when cooked using moist heat.
  • Sirloin Roasts: Containing a hip bone and backbone, this savory cut is best when roasted and pairs well with many flavors.

Get inspired! Following are three recipes to help you incorporate lean pork cuts into the next backyard bash:

  • Grilled Thai Tenderloin Cutlets are a mouth full of Asian-inspired flavor with a combination of garlic, ginger and soy sauce. Sure to be the basis for a meal that will excite taste buds and offer good health at the same time.
  • Apricot Glazed Pork Kabobs are loaded with taste, not calories. Served with grilled corn on the cob, baked beans and a fresh salad make for a perfect summer dinner.
  • Tropical Island Chops with Pineapple-Cucumber Salsa goes nicely with garnished green beans and wild rice. Switch up the herbs on these chops and have a whole new dish each time.

With some proper planning, a summer cookout can be a budget- and waistline-friendly event.

Cheers to a “fiery” and healthy summer season!

1 The survey was conducted online with a random sample of 1,093 mothers aged 18+ with a child/children in the home – all members of the Impulse Research proprietary online panel. The Impulse Research proprietary online panel has been carefully selected to closely match US population demographics and the respondents are representative of American women 18+. Research was conducted in December 2008. The overall sampling error for this survey is +/- 3% at the 95% level of confidence.

2 U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 21, 2008. http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/