Healthier Ways to BBQ

Cooking meat over an open flame creates chemicals long suspected of increasing cancer risk. According to two new studies, eating barbecued red meat may raise the risk of prostate cancer in men and breast cancer in post-menopausal women. Take these tips to heart:

Scrape off any charred portions, which contain many of the chemicals believed to lead to cancer.

Keep the temperature lower to lessen the smoke and flames that reach the food and raise the barbecue racks.

Flip with tongs or a spatula - a fork pierces food, releasing juice and fat that lead to flare-ups.

Choose skinless chicken and fish. They don't appear to raise cancer risk.

Microwave meat before barbecuing to reduce time over the charcoal and use an oil-free marinade to hinder the formation of cancer-causing chemicals.

Make kebabs with fruits and vegetables, which don't form harmful chemicals when flame-cooked.