by kelsey | May 26, 2011 | Food
With Memorial Day just a few days away, you may be getting your grocery list ready for your holiday cooking and gatherings. Desserts on the grill are a great way to enjoy a tasty treat while getting more fruit into your diet. When grilling fruits such as peaches, plums, nectarines, pineapples, pears, apples, and bananas, the heat carmelizes with the sugars and brings out the juices resulting in a very tasty flavor. Try marinating your fruit with honey, lemon juice, or nutmeg before grilling. Enjoy!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | May 24, 2011 | Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Did you know that about 60% of our body is water? Water is used for every system in the body and when we don’t have enough, our body does not function as well. Are you a good water drinker? Personally, I make constant efforts to make sure I am getting enough water for hydration and overall health. One way that has really helped me be more aware is to get a fun colored water bottle and set a goal for the day of how many times I need to fill it up and empty it. We need about 8-9 cups a day, which is about 64-72 oz. Blue is one of my favorite colors, so if I fill up my pretty blue water bottle at least 2 times while at work, I have gotten about half of my daily fluid requirements. I find I do not do so well on the days I forget my water bottle as it really is a constant reminder to me! Next time you’re at the store, you may want to find a fun water bottle to help encourage you meet your daily fluid requirements.
-Kelsey
by kelsey | May 19, 2011 | Food
“Cook” and “Chill” are our food safety topics for today. When getting ready to prepare your meats, it’s very important to use a cutting board that is able to be washed and if possible, in the dishwasher. It’s especially important to use separate cutting boards for fresh produce, bread, and your meats. These basic practices are essential for prevention of contamination.
In addition, it’s essential to cook your meats to the proper temperature in order to prevent contamination from undercooked meats. If you do not own a thermometer, I want to encourage you to get one! The USDA recommends these temperatures when cooking meats:
Fresh ground beef, veal, lamb, and pork cooked medium 160 F
Fresh ground beef, veal, lamb, and pork cooked medium rare 145 F
Fresh ground beef, veal, lamb, and pork cooked well done 170 F
Fresh pork roasts, steaks, and chops cooked medium 160 F
Fresh pork roasts, steaks, and chops cooked medium 170 F
Fresh pork roasts, steaks, and chops cooked medium 160 F
Ham before eating 160 F
Ham, fully cooked, to reheat 140 F
Ground chicken/turkey 165 F
Whole chicken/turkey 180 F
Poultry breasts, roasts 170 F
When refrigerating foods, it is important to remember to store food for the proper amount of time.
Here is a list of general guidelines for refrigeration:
Eggs in shell: 3-5 weeks
Egg substitutes: Opened-3 days, Unopened-10 days
Cooked casseroles, gravy with broth, patties, nuggets, soups, and stews: 3-4 days
Luncheon meats: Unopened-2 weeks, Opened-3 to 5 days
Most whole cooked meats: 1-2 days
Food held at temperatures above 40 F for more than two hours is not safe to eat. If food is in temperatures above 80F, it is only good for one hour before refrigerating. It is also important to maintain a clean refrigerator and at the correct temperature. Always cover your food, and be sure to maintain a temperature between 32-40 F.
We hope this helps you as you prepare your foods for parties an picnics!
-Contributed by Maria Block, WHS Junior Health Sciences Student under the guidance of Kelsey Raml, MS, RD, LN
References
http://www.fmi.org/consumer/foodkeeper/index.cfm?fuseaction=refriger
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/is_it_done_yet/brochure_text/index.asp
by kelsey | May 18, 2011 | Food
Contaminated food causes millions of Americans to get sick every year. Symptoms of food poisoning vary from mild to severe and can include, upset stomach and cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, and fever. With graduation parties in May and summer picnics approaching, it’s important to review the basics of food safety to avoid any potential problems with food poisoning.
The basics of food safety include four concepts:
Clean: wash hands and surfaces often
Separate: don’t cross contaminate
Cook: cook to the proper temperature
Chill: refridgerate promtly
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Today, we will focus on the first two:
Clean: Avoid the spread of bacteria
- Wash your hands with hot, soapy water for at least 20 seconds
- Before handling food
- After handling raw meats or poultry
- Using the bathroom
- Changing diapers
- Touching pets.
- When camping, or going on a picnic
- For preparation and cleaning use a clean water source
- Pack disposable wipes or sanitizing lotions
- Paper towels.
- Store leftover food in clean plastic bags or containers.
- Use clean water when washing raw fruits and vegetables.
Separate: Keep foods separate to avoid cross-contamination
- When you pack a cooler for an trip or outdoor activity
- Wrap raw meats and poultry securely and safely
- Place on the bottom to prevent the juices from dripping onto other foods
- Wash any item that comes in contact with raw meat before using them with cooked food
Tomorrow we will discuss proper cooking temperatures and storing recommendations. Have a great day!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | May 17, 2011 | Eating Out, Food, Weight Management
May brings out the best of graduation parties. Which in turn brings out the best food spreads! This last weekend, I had 3 parties in a row which made me remember the importance of mindful eating at times like these. When making the rounds to all of your parties, you will want to try a little something from each party so here are a few tips to help you get through these parties without needing to move that belt notch over another hole!
*Survey the entire food spread before taking any food. Decide what foods are worth eating and what can be ignored…why waste calories on food that don’t bring any pleasure!
*Eat your calories instead of drinking them. Watch out for the high sugar punch, mixed drinks, and regular pop.
*Try not to hang out by the food…find a comfortable spot across the room and focus on people rather than food.
*Watch your portions! Use a napkin or small plate rather than a big plate.
*Eat slowly and savor the taste!
In the next few posts I am also going to discuss food safety as this is essential when hosting parties. Have a great day and enjoy the sunshine!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Apr 28, 2011 | Diet, Etc., Food, Weight Management
Have you ever wondered how many calories, fat, sodium, protein, fiber….etc are in your foods? It’s a common question that I get daily, so I thought I’d share with you some excellent resources online where you can look this information up if you do not have a nutrition facts label. One important tip is that you will want to be sure to enter the appropriate serving size to give you the specific nutrition facts you are looking for.
-Kelsey
