Let’s look at food safety. If you are trying to eat healthier, and preparing meals at home, your focus is most likely on nutrition, ingredients and cooking. However, food safety is an important part of being an effective home cook. If you are not paying attention, multitasking in the kitchen can come with serious safety risks.

Here are three ways to enforce food safety

Keep Food Cold.
Packing your lunch and bringing it to work is a wonderful way to know exactly what you are eating and enjoy healthy foods at work. However, store your food in a refrigerator or in a cooler with ice packs when you get to work. As many as 6 hours can pass in between packing your lunch and eating it, which is a lot of time for bacteria to build up.

Be Aware of Cross-Contamination.
If you are talking on the phone, doing laundry and trying to cook, cross-contamination can easily occur, leading to unwanted bacteria in your food. Hand washing is the best way to prevent cross-contamination. Wash your hands between tasks, and teach kids good hand-washing habits as well.

Get the Right Tools.
Protein foods need to be cooked to the proper internal temperature. Keep a food thermometer handy so that you can check temperatures.

These simple tips will help keep things cooking in the kitchen! Don’t let food preparation and safety get in the way of preparing healthy meals with your family. With basic knowledge and care, you can safely prepare healthy foods and stick to your healthy eating plan. Contact KareBoost Health for more information on food safety and planning a healthy lifestyle.

Karen L. Leibowitz, MD
Health and Medical Coach
KareBoost Health