Can I cook with Aluminum Foil on My Orlando Grill?

If you plan on cooking fish or veggies, you are likely planning on putting all of your “fixings” in an aluminum foil packet in order to keep the flavors and juices locked in on your Orlando grill. But what if cooking with aluminum foil is bad for your health? There are many published articles out in the Webosphere that contain arguments both for and against using aluminum foil on your grill. Below, you’ll find more information on how aluminum affects your health and if you should still be using it or if there is a better way to cook on your outdoor grill in Orlando.

Aluminum & How it Affects Your Health

Aluminum is one of the most common metals found on earth. In its natural state, it can be found bonded to minerals such as sulfate and phosphate in soil, rocks, and clay. Aluminum can also be found in food, water, and even the air. The World Health Organization states that 40mg is a safe daily intake of the metal for most people. Generally speaking, many experts believe that the amount of aluminum that we are exposed to every day is safe. However, research has shown excessive amounts of aluminum to be found in people with Alzheimer’s and that it can cause complications for people who suffer from bone diseases, while potentially reducing the growth rate of human brain cells. This research doesn’t necessarily state that ingesting or being exposed to aluminum is dangerous, but rather, excessive amounts of this metal have been connected to potentially harmful diseases and symptoms.

Is Cooking With Aluminum Safe On Your Orlando Grill?

To put it simply, the research that has been done in order to verify whether or not aluminum is safe to cook with is “iffy”. This is due in part to the fact that different amounts of aluminum can be leached into your food depending on the type of food and the temperature at which it is cooked. So if you decide to cook fish with some fresh herbs and lemon on your Orlando grill your food will pick up more aluminum (usually), then say, a piece of salted red meat would. Research shows that foods cooked with lemon, tomato juice, and/or spices will have more aluminum then foods that are cooked with alcohol or salt.

So what’s the bottom line for cooking with aluminum foil on your Orlando grill? While a small amount of aluminum in your diet isn’t a bad thing, we are overexposed to this metal as a society. It can be found in all of our utensils, pots, pans, corn, yellow cheese, and tea. So we aren’t saying get rid of your aluminum foil, we’re saying it might be better to use less of it. Alternatively, you can try using a grill basket or cedar grilling papers to still create delicious juicy meals from your Orlando grill, without worrying about massive amounts of aluminum leaching into your food.

Photo by Oscar Söderlund on Unsplash