So what constitutes healthy barbecuing? Colleen Doyle, MS, RD, nutrition and physical activity director for the American Cancer Society (ACS), offers some tips that follow ACS dietary guidelines:

• Cook the meat thoroughly, but not so much that pieces are charred and black.
• Keep the portions small and lean.
• Trim away any excess fat.
• Try pre-cooking the meat in the oven or on the stove ahead of time, and finish it up on the grill.
• Think of meat as a side dish instead of the main course.
• Enjoy grilled meats with plenty of vegetables, fruits, and grains.
• Don?t eat any charred or blackened parts.

Connie Mobley, PhD, a registered dietician and associate professor of nutrition at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, agreed there are things to do to have a healthy barbecue.

"[Create] a barrier between the coals and the items that you?re cooking with aluminum foil. This decreases contact with the flame that would promote some of the charring and the blackening of food which we associate with risk of cancer," said Dr. Mobley. "Or, you can just increase the space between the charcoal and the foods so that this charring process doesn?t occur."

"It?s important to add a healthy aspect to any way that we prepare foods," added Doyle. "I don?t know that there are ?pros? to grilling, but you certainly can get less fat than in deep-frying. We don?t know the potential risk for people who regularly grill meats, especially to the point where they are well-done and charred."

Doyle also said it is important to consider grilling meats in the context of an overall healthy diet. Think about:

• how often you grill;
• what foods you grill;
• how well done the meats are;
• what other foods you eat.