Rub it just right. If you soak it long enough, it will taste even better. But beware, once your meat has been drenched in a marinade of choice, it may be loaded with fat and low in nutrients.

Instead of grabbing jars of store-bought sauces, gather some basic ingredients—herbs, spices, fruits, oils—and try these easy, three-ingredient marinades that will add flavor and keep things lighter if you overindulge during the long weekend.

John La Puma, MD and author of Chef MD’s Big Book of Culinary Medicine, whips up a few easy sauces that you’ll want to use way beyond the end of May.

Southwest

The third best marinade with antioxidants, according to La Puma, lime replaces lemon in this southwestern mix.

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp lime juice
• 1/2 Tsp southwestern spice mix

How to make southwest spice:

• 2 Tbsp chili powder
• 2 Tsp ground cumin
• 1 Tbsp garlic powder
• 2 Tbsp paprika
• 1 Tsp black pepper
• 1 Tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 Tbsp ground coriander
• 1 Tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 1 Tbsp dried oregano

Mix into lime juice and olive oil and start rubbing down.

Jerk Spice

A powerful spice mix in knocking back free radicals and cancer-causing chemicals, the jerk spice mix is a mouth-popping rub.

• 2 Tbsp canola oil
• 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1/2 Tsp jerk spice mix

Jerk Spice Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp dried minced onion
• 2 1/2 Tsp dried thyme
• 2 Tsp ground allspice
• 2 Tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 Tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 Tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 Tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil

How Hot?

Cooking and marinating on time

All these marinades decrease natural carcinogens, or heterocyclic amines (HCA), found in meat by up to 87 percent since they’re a barrier against the high heat. Grill beef at least 375 degrees. “The USDA says to cook poultry within two days of marinating, and beef within five days,” says La Puma. “If you marinate long, the food will either be so tender it’s falling apart, or tough as nails, depending on how much acid (i.e., vinegar, lemon, wine, other) you use.”

To keep grilling safe, just a dunk is necessary. With the right mixture, the longer you marinate, the stronger the flavor. La Puma recommends marinating meats in a pie plate or stainless steel bowl in the fridge to keep bacteria down.