When preparing meals what is important to keep in mind

Note that those at high-risk for foodborne illness should follow additional guidelines. This includes:. Foodborne illnesses don't just come from restaurants. In fact, they usually come from bad food preparation, serving, and storage at home.

Follow the guidelines below to keep your food as safe as possible:. Food production is another important component of nutrition and health. This is a complex issue with lots of factors, some of which you cannot control. For example, food grown in healthy soil will supply necessary trace minerals to the food, but when soils are pressured for large-scale production, essential trace minerals can be lost. Some produce items have heavier pesticide residue than others.

Be sure to only buy organically grown versions of the following fruits and vegetables:. These foods have low pesticide residue , making it safe to purchase non-organic versions of them:.

Prepare Food for Health and Safety. More info on this topic. What is nutrition? How diet impacts health. Expert healthy eating tips. Dietary guidelines. Eat positively. Food as medicine. Legumes beans, lentils, dried peas , eggs , tofu, peanut butter and canned fish offer great tasting protein at a good price. Check your pantry, refrigerator and freezer. Look at the expiry dates of the foods and ingredients you already have on hand. Which ones do you need to use up?

Look for recipes that use those foods and ingredients. Enjoy grains more often. Grains such as rice, pasta, barley and couscous are inexpensive and can be used in many different recipes.

Try them in soups, stews and salads such as Chicken Bulgur Salad. Avoid recipes that need a special ingredient. Some recipes call for a special ingredient that you may not have. How much does that ingredient cost? Does it come in a small or big package? Can you use it in other recipes before it goes bad? Here are some quick tips to remember for foods that need to be kept cool:. If a recipe calls for raw egg, substitute pasteurized eggs found in the grocery store's dairy case.

Thorough cooking will kill the germs that can make you and your family sick. A meat thermometer is the best way to tell whether food is cooked thoroughly. Place the thermometer in the thickest part of the meat and away from bones or fat.

Wash the probe between uses. Refer to package labels or follow these recommendations:. Keep your kitchen surfaces clean and wash your hands often to help prevent the spread of bacteria. Bacteria could spread to someone else if they use a contaminated dish towel, so use paper towels and change dish towels regularly. Visit FoodSafety. Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size.

Here are more ways to make sure your kitchen and the foods you prepare in it are safe. Buying Food Put refrigerated items such as meat, dairy, eggs, and fish in your cart last.

Also check eggs before buying them. Make sure the eggs are clean and without any cracks. Here are some quick tips to remember for foods that need to be kept cool: Keep eggs in the original carton on a shelf in your refrigerator most refrigerator doors don't keep eggs cold enough.