May is National Barbecue Month, and with summer around the corner, now is the time to head outdoors and dust off the grill! Grilling is the secret weapon for effortless healthy eating and low-maintenance entertaining.
Today's post is courtesy of Chef Mareya Ibrahim, a Lifestyle and Nutrition Expert as seen on The Food Network, celebrity chef and author ‘Eat Like You Give A Fork: The Real Dish on Eating to Thrive’. Her goal is get everyone grilling with some simple, delicious and wine-friendly recipes and techniques.
Her mantra is “Don’t be scared of the grill; it’s more simple than kitchen cooking." She says “I have been grilling with my dad since I was a young girl, and I want everyone to know that it’s a foolproof way to prepare food, whether you are cooking for one person or 20.”

It’s time to head outdoors and dust off the grill!
"Grilling is my secret weapon for effortless healthy eating and low-maintenance entertaining!"
~Chef Mareya Ibrahim
And she's not just talking burgers and hot dogs - Ibrahim suggest we grill just about anything, from paleo to vegan and pizza to peaches. You can even use your grill to prepare an elegant 3-course meal including dessert that tastes amazing and minimizes clean-up. Just follow Chef Mareya’s easy K.I.S.S. plan:
K Is For KIT: The tools you need to make grilling a breeze and FUN.
- A GREAT grill – A gas grill makes life a lot easier, but you may opt for a traditional charcoal grill if you like the added flavor.
- Tongs, a spatula, and a long-handled fork - Keep your hands safe and the flipping easy!
- Marinating brush - Pile on the flavor!
I Is For INFUSE: Infusing your food with spices, sauces, and seasonings is a must for any grill master. Not only do they kick up the flavor quotient, they also transform all your old favorites into something new and exciting every time.
- All-natural marinades with whole-food ingredients - Save the extra as a dipping sauce.
- Dry spice rubs incorporating citrus, black garlic, ginger, turmeric, and peppers - Great for building immunity, gut health, and lowering inflammation.
- Wood grilling planks - They infuse food with a wonderful smoky flavor and add moisture and a delicious aroma. Add flavor without fat by grilling on a cedar plank! Just soak it for a half hour or so before arranging your food on top, then putting it directly on top of your grill.
S Is For SIMPLIFY: Use a primer for guidance on grilling simply, the best ingredients to grill, and the best techniques. Be sure to check out Chef Mareya’s Grill tips.
- Steel or wooden skewers – Perfect for making colorful kabobs.
- Grilling baskets – Great for grilling edamame, vegetables, and shrimp.
- Digital meat thermometer - Avoid the guesswork and foolproof your grilling.
S #2 Is For SAFETY: Be safe and keep your guests safe.
- Cutting boards – To avoid cross-contamination, use separate boards for meat, chicken, seafood, and vegetables. We use a color-coded set of cutting boards to help keep them straight - red for meat, green for veggies, etc.
- Chef Ibrahim promotes The Eat Cleaner Seafood + Poultry Wash - A natural blend of plant-based ingredients to cleanse fish, chicken, and shellfish easily. She claims it can be used without water, that no rinse is needed and that it's 99.9% more effective than water alone. I have not researched her claims, nor do I endorse this product or make any commission if you click or buy.
- Avoid the char - Give your grill at least 5 minutes to warm up, and don’t cook your meat to a carbon pulp - safe grilling means avoiding carcinogens from overcooking.
Take on the grill this summer, and it will make entertaining easy! Check out Chef Mareya’s grill tips, recipes and podcast HERE. For more of her health and wellness tips, go to www.EatCleaner.com. Finally, you can find her growing collection of 500+ clean eating how-to videos on her YouTube.