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Tag: Holidays

Have a Healthy Holiday Season!

Posted on by Marci Metz

The holiday season is here and parties and gatherings are being planned to celebrate the season. Whether it is a small gathering or a large office potluck, remember to bring healthy treats to curb high-calorie snacking.

Holidays offer many food temptations. Spread out the sweet treats so they are not lurking around every corner. Guests will appreciate lighter, non-sweet options more than you think. Parties can be stressful for some because they feel overwhelmed and forget that the season should be fun. This leads to mindless snacking and extra calories.

Offer healthy choices such as using whole wheat bread for sandwiches and seltzer water with fruit instead of soda. Encourage people to take a walk to work off holiday stress and anxiety.

Do you have several parties to attend? Plan ahead to help reduce those extra calories. Eat a small meal for breakfast with whole grains, fruit and protein. Don’t starve yourself thinking you’ll save room for party food. Take small bites and savor the delicious party foods. Go through the buffet once to reduce nibbling.

Above all, take time to relax and enjoy the holiday season!

Source: www.cdc.gov/features/healthy-holidays-work/index.html and www.eatright.org/health/lifestyle/seasonal/helpful-tips-for-healthy-holiday-parties

By:  Ashley Svaty

Holiday Meals

Posted on by Marci Metz
Ashley Svaty
Nutrition, Food Safety
and Health Agent

Did you know that one in six Americans could get sick from food poisoning this year alone? Keep your family safe this holiday season by following the 4 steps to safe food:  Separate, Clean, Cook, and Chill.

Separate raw from ready to eat foods. Keep meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs separate from all other foods starting at the grocery store and continue through preparation.  Prevent cross contamination by using separate cutting boards for raw meat and ready to eat foods.

Clean hands often. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends to wash hands for 20 seconds with soap and water before and after preparing food, after touching raw meat, raw eggs, or unwashed vegetables, and before eating or drinking.

Cook food to safe internal temperatures. ALWAYS use a food thermometer, do not judge doneness of food by color.

  • Cook beef, pork, lamb, steaks, and roasts to 145°F with 3-minute rest time.
  • Cook Fish to 145° F
  • Cook ground beef, pork, veal, lamb to 160° F
  • Cook all poultry to 165° F.
  • Reheat leftovers to 165° F

Chill leftovers within 2 hours. Bacteria grows rapidly at room temperature, do not let food sit out.  When storing leftovers in the refrigerator, use shallow pans or containers to decrease cooling time. This prevents the food from spending too much time at unsafe temperatures (between 40 °F to 140 °F). Keep leftovers in a cooler with ice or frozen gel packs if food is traveling home with guests. Eat leftovers within 4 days or store in your freezer.

For more information please visit www.foodsafety.gov

By:  Ashley Svaty