If you plan on firing up the grill this Memorial Day weekend you’re not alone. Even though many Americans grill year round, Memorial Day tips off grilling season. When growing up, Memorial Day always meant a huge family barbeque with family and friends. What I remember most was my dad’s delicious char-grilled hamburgers. It was nothing for me to finish off two burgers and a mountain of my Aunt Rose’s famous potato salad.

Today I approach the holiday a bit differently, or should I say healthfully. Gone are the days of mindless eating. I have learned to be more mindful of the food I eat and feed my family. Being a Registered Dietitian, it’s my job to educate patients about food and health. I don’t spend my day telling people what NOT to eat; rather I educate them on how to make what they eat healthier.  With that said, the following are some suggestion on how to make the most of this Memorial Day without throwing your health “under the bus”.

Add color to your plate. Fruits and vegetables offer an array of vitamins, minerals, fiber and cancer fighting phytochemicals. You can’t go wrong serving a tray of cut up vegetables or sliced up seasonal fruit. The grill isn’t just for burgers and hotdogs. Try grilling fruits and vegetables as well. The most popular vegetables to throw on the grill are asparagus, onions, mushrooms, zucchini, eggplant and corn on the cob. They work well cut into chunks for kabobs, cooked in a grill basket or tossed with a small amount of olive oil and grilled whole. When grilling fruit cut it in half before cooking: Apples, peaches, pears, or pineapple all turn out wonderfully. Fruit should be brushed with a little canola oil or spayed with cooking spray. It’s delicious sprinkled with a little cinnamon or served with a scoop of low-fat ice cream.

Everyone loves a good potato salad, but no one needs all those extra calories. Potato salad is a heavy hitter when it comes to calories due in part from all the mayo. One tablespoon of mayo has 100 calories. I feel fat free mayo falls short on flavor so instead I make my own: I mix together 1/3 c fat free plain Greek style yogurt, 1 1/2 tbsp. capers (mashed with a fork), 1 tsp. onion powder, and a dash of cayenne pepper. This substantially cuts back on calories without falling short on flavor.

When grilling meat, poultry or fish be cautious of very high temperatures or cooking food until it’s well-done or charred. When meat is cooked well-done or cooking it until it is charred, two cancer-causing compounds called heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are formed. These substances can damage DNA and may increase risk for colon cancer. To decrease the chances of consuming these harmful compounds follow these three suggestions from the American Institute on Cancer Research.

Think Low and Slow. Slow down the cooking time with a low flame to limit burning and charring. Cooking meats at a lower temperature reduces the amount of the carcinogens, HCA and PAH. More tips: cut off any visible fat (to reduce flare-ups), cook food in the center of the grill and move coals to the side (prevents fat and juices from dripping on them) and cut off any charred portions of the meat.

Marinate the Meat. Mix up a marinade with herbs and vinegar or lemon juice and keep the meat steeping in the fridge while you prepare the sides. Marinating meat has been shown to reduce formation of HCAs. Even just 30 minutes in the marinade can help. And the bonus — your guests will rave about the tenderness and added flavor from the marinade.

Partially Precook. You can do this in the oven, microwave or on the stove to help reduce the amount of time the meat is exposed to high heat. You will still enjoy the aroma and flavor from grilling but minimize your risks.

If you have a nutrition question you’d like answered in this column or if you like to schedule an appointment, contact the office at (706) 473-5801 or email us at oconeenutrition@yahoo.com.