A healthy diet isn’t just necessary for reducing risk of developing diabetes, heart disease or high blood pressure. It is also essential in keeping your body’s immune system functioning properly. Lean proteins, vegetables and whole grains are building blocks of our immune system; together they can help our body fight infection in many ways. Reducing our risk of foodborne illness through proper food preparation and cooking practices is where it all begins. Here are a few quick tips to help keep your food supply at home safe:
- Wash—your hands, your utensils, and the food you are preparing! Make sure to scrub the outer surface of foods like melons or lemons using a brush and rinse well after scrubbing to prevent any surface matter from being cut into the food. It is not necessary to wash pre-washed, bagged foods.
- Keep produce separate from meat, poultry, seafood and eggs in sealed separate bags. Make sure all meat is placed below fresh vegetables in the refrigerator.
- Use separate cutting boards for your foods: red cutting board for meats, green for vegetables.
- Use a food thermometer (placed in the thickest part of the meat) to ensure beef and pork is cooked to a minimum of 145°F and poultry (Cornish hens, chicken and turkey) to 165°
Erica Weinandy, MS, CD, RD
For more information on food safety, visit https://www.foodsafety.gov/
