Nutritional Facts About Marinating Meat

It’s summertime and if you’re anything like us, there’s lots more talk about marinades and marinating meat for the grill.  We all love well-marinated meat and enjoy a good BBQ but it’s hard sometimes to sift through the facts about health and nutritional information about marinades and whether marinating meat is beneficial or not.  We, at Arkenz ltd, love our marinated meat - not least of which is because there are great health benefits involved when you marinate meat!  Let’s get to the brass tacks of nutrition on marinated meat.

TYPES OF MARINADES:

There are three types of marinades:  dry rub, wet rub, and wet marinades.  Each has its pros and cons. 

Dry rub:  made of dried herbs and spices, they usually use salt to break down proteins and draw other flavors in.  One drawback is that the salt in them tends to draw out the meat’s juices.

Wet rub (paste):  essentially a dry rub with oil or other liquid to assist with spreading, wet rubs are excellent when you want to use fresh herbs such as basil and fresh garlic. 

Wet marinade: these can be acidic (vinegar/citrus), enzymes (fruit or dairy), and flavor (teriyaki, cajun & chipotle). Each of these marinades has different purposes and effects on meat, which affect the nutrition and taste of the meat.

MARINADE NUTRITION FACTS

Due to high sodium and sugar contents, bottled and pre-prepared marinades are not recommended.  Using a bottled marinade can serve up a full third of your allowable daily sodium intake - over 600g per tablespoon!  

Acidic marinades loosen the bonds between proteins in the meat, which helps to make the meat tender.  Be careful, however, because marinating too long this way will actually cause the meat to toughen!

Enzyme marinades also break down meat proteins and include fruits such as pineapple, papaya, kiwi, fig, and mango or dairy such as buttermilk and yogurt. This type of marinade can lead to mushy meat if left on too long, so take heed here.

Finally, perhaps the most important nutritional and health benefit of marinated meat is the reduction of HCA’s (cancer-causing agents) within the meat.  HCA’s are produced when meat is cooked at very high temperatures.  Using acidic marinades greatly increases the nutritional benefits of any grilled meats.  See our easy marinade recipe (https://www.tariqhalalmeats.com/blog/post/how-to-marinate-meat-for-the-bbq)

for a fantastic, easy, and healthy marinade for your Arkenz ltd meat.   Visit us online today to place your order.  www.tariqhalalmeats.com