Men\'s Health Malaysia - Jun 2017

44 JUNE 2017

LAMB

Organic, high-welfare lamb, as

opposed to the questionable cuts in

a standard high-street doner,

contains up to 50% more omega 3,

which aids production of sleep

hormone melatonin according to

the American Journal of Clinical

Nutrition. No need to count sheep.

CHICKEN

This lean source of protein also

doles out niacin. Critical for liver

health, this vitamin is useful when

ditching the post-pub pit stop, but

not the booze itself. By preparing it

with fenugreek, you score extra iron,

which helps your body turn protein

into muscle mass.

SQUID

Out of the deep-fat fryer and onto

the grill: cooking squid on a skewer

means it packs roughly half the

calories of breaded rings, with a

higher proportion of protein – 70%,

to be exact. It’s also packed with

prostate cancer-fighter nutrient

selenium. An impressive haul.

PANEER

The Indian cheese is full of

conjugated linoleic acid, which has

been found to reduce body fat,

especially around your abdomen,

according to the International

Society of Sports Nutrition. If you

crave meat-free, hunger-busting

protein, stick with this.

Those greasy post-pub pittas are a poor

relation of true Middle Eastern cuisine.

“The dubious meat and limp veg at the

average late-night kebab joint lead you to

compensate for the lack of flavour with

sugary sauces,” says Ed Brunet of Le Bab

(eatlebab.com). Fire up your flatbread

with quality, healthy ingredients instead.

The beauty of giving your food

a good grilling is that excess fat

drains away during cooking. Plus,

use the best charcoal and you can

also impart extra flavour without

reaching for an industrial-sized

squeezy bottle of garlic mayo.

Brunet advises avoiding standard

supermarket briquettes: “It’s

normally the broken-up pieces left

over after the good bits have been

taken out,” he says. “Good charcoal

will burn longer with a steadier

heat, for more precise

cooking and a beautiful

smoky flavour.” Opt for

pro-grade hardwood

lumpwood charcoal. Meanwhile,

your skewers don’t have to be

pricey, but they do need to hold

their cargo in place. Choose flat,

wide ones over the spindly kind.

And to avoid wheeling out a BBQ set

every time, try a Prakti stove

(praktidesign.com). You’ll be

grilling in style within minutes.

Think outside the Styrofoam box. Done right,

kebabs have handfuls of health benefits all

wrapped up. It’s time to skewer the kofte’s bad rep

ELEPHANT’S

LEG IN THE ROOM

ALL UP ON YOUR GRILL

B

A

C

D

Food & Nutrition

WORDS

EDWIN SMITH

PHOTOGRAPHS

LOUISA PARRY

FOOD STYLIST

TAMARA VOS

SKEWERS

WEBER.COM

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44 JUNE 2017