Healthy Eating
Eating healthy foods will help you to boost your immune system,
but what if it’s the foods themselves making you sick? Foodborn
illness can cause food poisoning and a variety of other more
dangerous diseases, so they are a real threat to our bodies. Luckily,
there are a number of things you can do to prevent foodborne illnesses.
Following safety tips when handling, preparing, and storing food is
very important.
First and foremost, you should be concerned with the temperature
of your foods. When cooking meat, make sure to use a thermometer
in order to make sure that you meat is reaching to proper temperatures
inside. Some meats, like beef, can be served rare safely, but proper
temperatures are crucial. This kills any bacteria that may be growing
on the meat. In the case of burger and other loaf meats that have been
ground and formed into patties, you should not eat rare meals. The
bacteria then easily is found inside the meat as well as on the outside,
and you are at risk if you do not cook these meats for a long period of
time to kill any bacteria.
After your food is cooked, you should continue to monitor temperature.
Simply put, keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. Hot foods should
be kept at temperatures above 140 degrees Fahrenheit, while cold foods
should be kept at temperatures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. The range
between that is where bacteria can grow. When letting food cool for
refrigeration, place in the refrigerator after no more than two hours, and
when thawing meals, do so in a bowl or pan in the refrigerator, rather
than at room temperature.
Cross contamination is a huge culprit when you are concerned with
preventing illness and your food. Cross contamination is basically the
moving of bacteria from one dish to another. This happens when you
use dirty cutting boards, don’t wish your dishes properly, and use the
same utensil for all of your foods. If you use, for example, a knife to cut
raw chicken and then use that same knife to cut your food after it has
been cooked, some of the bacteria from the raw chicken has probably
remained on the knife, which can make you very ill. Make sure that you
are using a clean work space and clean tools whenever you cook.
Along with using a clean environment, you should make sure that you
are washing you hands regularly. Every time you touch raw foods,
you should use disinfecting hand soap and hot water to make sure
that no bacteria remains on your hands. Making sure that your food is
safe is one of the most important parts of healthy eating, so don’t
overlook this step the next time you prepare a meal.
Dealing With Children
When you have children, one of the biggest challenges is making
sure that your child eats all of the food that he or she needs to
grow in a healthy way. Healthy eating is important from birth!
If your child doe not get the right nutrients in his or her food, it
is possible that his or her growth will be stunted or that he or she
will become ill. However, if you have a child, than you also know
that getting your young one to eat healthy foods is many times met
with resistance. While it is easy to get a child to enjoy chocolate cake,
broccoli is another issue! Here are some tricks and tips to helping
your child get all the nutrients he or she needs.
A great way to teach your children new skills as well as get them to eat
healthy food is to get them to help you in the kitchen. Children as young
as three and four love to help with simply things like stirring and pouring,
while older children can learn to crack eggs, measure ingredients, and teens
can even help to cut vegetables and cook entire meals. When a child sees
what is going into food, he or she will be more likely to eat it. Children also
will be more likely to eat foods that they help to cook because they are
proud of their accomplishments.
Another great way to get a child to eat healthy foods is to look for kid-friendly
options. For example, if your child is not getting enough dairy foods, low-fat
string cheese is a healthy snack option that is also very fun to eat! You can
also find crackers that come in kid-friendly shapes and finger foods.
If you are extremely worried about your child getting enough of the proper
nutrients he or she needs for daily life, you can also find vitamin supplements
to help your child’s diet. A number of brands makes vitamins that come in fun
shapes and sizes so that you can convince your child to take them. There are
also powered drinks and other enriched foods you can give to your child in order
to make sure they get all of the nutrients they need.
The bottom line is that you need to make sure that your child is staying safe
and healthy, no matter how picky they may be. If you child refuses to eat a
specific food, he or she probably simply does not like that food, and you should
provide another choice. However, if he or she is refusing most foods, you must
be firm about eating nutritious foods. Talk to your pediatrician in order to find
out proportions and types of foods that your child should be eating.
Healthy Eating On The Go
People use many excuses to give reason to why they are not eating
healthy foods. One of the most common of these excuses is that
they have no time to worry about choosing the best foods and
cooking them for themselves and their families. These people usually
grab fast food or take-out instead of healthier foods, and these
quick dinner fixes are full of bad fats and cholesterol, sugar, and
empty calories. However, no matter how little time you have to spend
in the kitchen and at the supermarket, there are ways in which you
can eat in a healthy way without much time. Learning how to quickly
eating healthily can make all the difference in perfecting your diet.
Eating healthy foods begins with healthy ingredients, but if you are
short on time, you may find that spending time in the grocery store
does not fit into your schedule. To maximize your time, plan ahead
for two weeks at a time. Instead of having to go to the store every
time you need an ingredient, make a list and keep your refrigerator,
freezer, and pantry stocked with good, healthy ingredients. You can
make your shopping list during a meeting, while eating lunch, or
while you are on the phone. A list will also help you cut back on
compulsory buying, which is when we purchase a lot of the foods that
are bad for us.
Along with planning your shopping list, plan your meals as well. If you
find little time to cook during the week, you can instead try making a
few healthy meals in advance on the weekend and than putting them
in your freezer. Before you go to work in the morning, simply stick the
frozen dinner in the refrigerator to thaw and then pop into the oven to
cook when you get home from work. This will help you avoid having to
pick up fast food.
When you do find yourself in the need of a quick meal and want to order
out, look for healthy options. Instead of choosing a burger and fries, for
example, look at the chicken breast options. Some fast food restaurants
also have salads and fruit, but beware of dressing, which can be tons of
fats and empty calories. Keep healthy drinks on hand at home instead
of purchasing a soda as well. Better yet, stick the burger, pizza, and
Mexican joints altogether and opt for a sandwich or sub shop instead,
where you can choose a wheat bread and ask them to hold the mayonnaise.
Healthy eating on the run will never be easy. However, putting a tad bit
more time into is worth that extra effort, because you’ll be living a
healthier life in the end. Using these tips will help you to quickly eat
as healthily as possible.
Lets Go Shopping
Healthy eating starts with one key activity—healthy shopping.
When you head to the grocery store, it is easy to pick up lots of
foods that are bad for our bodies without even realizing it.
Shopping for a healthy diet can be difficult if you do not know
how to do so, but with these tips, you should find it easier to do
so the next time you head to the grocery store.
First, have a plan before you ever leave your house. Use the sales
fliers to check out the great products that are on sale and take an
inventory of your pantry and refrigerator to see what foods you
need to purchase. Make a list of all of the foods you’ll need and
stick to that list. Allow yourself one or two compulsory buys, but
otherwise stay to the ingredients you’ll need to cook healthy meals
for yourself and your family for the rest of the week. Before you leave,
review your list and take out any unnecessary junk food.
Another great shopping tip to go along with making a list is to shop
for a week at a time, or even longer if you have a large freezer. When
you have to run to the grocery store every day, you are more likely to
pick up junk food items every time you make a trip, and before you
know it, your snack supply will be overflowing. You can shop for a
week or two in advance by taking a day to plan meals for the week
and packaging fresh product to be frozen.
When you’re shopping, it is also important to read the label. Try to
avoid purchasing brand name items simply because they are brand name
or store brand items simply because they are less expensive. Actually
look at the product’s nutritional value and try to get the most nutrients
for your money. When you eat higher quality foods, you’ll feel more
full and, in turn, eat less, so this really is the best way to bargain shop.
If you are just shopping for yourself, you should also consider picking
up a basket at the door instead of getting a shopping cart. The biggest
problem with health and grocery shopping is grabbing junk food items
that you don’t really need. If you have a small basket, you simply won’t
have room for chocolate brownies and ice cream with your load of other
foods, so you’ll pass them by.
Lastly, don’t forget to consider drinks into your healthy shopping plan.
Most people don’t realize it, but sodas, punches, and beers can have many
empty calories and are generally bad drink choices. Instead, look at the
labels and choose diet drinks, water and sports drinks, or natural fruit juices,
like apple juice. With these tips, healthy eating—and shopping—
should be much easier!
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