Fire up the grill -- it's BBQ season! However, many of us don't stop to consider the quality of the burgers and hot dogs we throw on the grill. Improving the quality of the same foods you're used to eating can have profoundly positive effects on your health, without sacrificing pleasure -- in fact, it usually leads to better tasting food! Here's how:
Go au natural
Summer comes with bare skin and natural tones, so try to eat with the theme. The best type of meat is sustainable, ideally pastured grass-fed beef and free-range chicken. When animals live in their natural environment and roam in a pasture, eat grass and soak up the sun they are healthiest and thus the most nutritious. By consuming sustainably raised meats you'll also avoid the negative effects of excess hormones and antibiotics, and the consequences of factory farming. This is one of the easiest and yet most important steps toward eating healthier and more sustainably (while actually improving the flavor of your food).
A word of caution: Avoid processed meats, which are loaded with salt and nitrates, like hot dogs and bratwurst. If you choose to indulge, look for nitrate-free hot dogs made from grass-fed beef.
