Friday Food Safety Mythbusters #1
Food safety quiz…. test your knowledge!
If refrigerated leftovers don’t have a bad smell …
a. They still may not be OK to eat because many harmful bacteria that can cause foodborne illness don’t make food smell.
b. The leftovers are OK to eat, cold or hot.
c. The leftovers are OK to eat as long as you heat them to an internal temperature of 165° F as checked with a food thermometer.
d. The leftovers are OK to eat as long as you have a strong stomach.
Food Safety MYTH- Leftovers are safe to eat until they smell bad.
Food Safety FACT- Most people would not choose to eat spoiled, smelly food. However, if they did, they would not necessarily get sick. This is because there are different types of bacteria, some of which cause illness in people and others that don’t. The types of bacteria that do cause illness do not affect the taste, smell or appearance of food. For this reason it is important to freeze or toss refrigerated leftovers within 3-4 days. If you are unsure of how long your leftovers have been sitting in the refrigerator, don’t take the risk– when in doubt, throw it out!
The correct answer to the quiz was A. Did you get it right? For more information about home food handling for September Food Safety Month, check out the fightbac.org website from the Partnership for Food Safety Education. Watch for more food safety myths and facts next Friday!
“Knowledge for Life” provided by the Finney County Extension Office and K-State Research and Extension.
Subscribe to the comments for this postNoon program on “Embracing Our Cultural Diversity”
The 22nd annual series of Extension “Knowledge at Noon” noon-hour programs begins this week with a celebration of our cultural diversity.
Join us on Thursday to learn more about the ethnic and cultural diversity which enriches the Finney County experience. The program will feature a panel disucssion by some of our newest community members and local organizations which strive to assist and give them a voice here in their new home.
Knowledge at Noon, sponsored by the Finney County Extension Office, will be held on Thursday, September 2, 12:05-12:55 p.m. at the Finney County Public Library, 605 E. Walnut in Garden City.
The public is invited to attend this free noon program. No pre-registration is necessary. Bring a lunch if you wish; coffee and iced tea will be provided. For more information on Extension Knowledge at Noon programs, leave a comment, send me an email at lbeech@ksu.edu or call the Finney County Extension Office at 620-272-3670.
“Knowledge for Life” provided by the Finney County Extension Office and K-State Research and Extension.
One of my favorite websites…
I want to introduce you to one of my favorite websites– Spend Smart. Eat Smart. –hosted by the Iowa State Extension Service. It recently got a make-over to make it even more appealing. Check out the fresh, crisp new look, as well as new features such as comment and question buttons, polling feature, a whole new recipe site with search and rating features, and a lesson section.
The goal of the website is to help consumers spend less to eat better. The new site’s content is focused in three areas: Plan, Shop and Eat. To encompass this new approach, the site tagline is now: “3 Easy Steps to Healthy Meals.”
The web site is designed to appeal to families who want to eat healthy on a budget. Check it out, then bookmark it as one of your favorites. I guarantee you’ll go back to it frequently.
“Knowledge for Life” provided by the Finney County Extension Office and K-State Research and Extension.
I-Can: A Plan for Eating Out Wisely
Eating right starts at home, but most families eat out at least several times per week. Chances are, a trip to their favorite restaurant or fast food place costs them extra calories, fat, salt, and sugar as well as dollars. Eating right at restaurants can be a challenge. But it is possible, if you have a PLAN!
These 7 “I-Can” tips will help anyone prepare…
I-Can Have a Plan – do some homework to find nutrition information about the restaurants that you go to the most. You can do some research online or ask for printed material at the restaurant.
I-Can Order the Smallest Portion. You usually eat about twice as many calories when you eat out than you would at home, so ordering the smallest size is a big step toward eating wisely.
I-Can Order Baked and Grilled, Not Fried – Fried foods add extra calories and fat, and that’s just not good for you. — Quick Tip: KFC Chicken Breast—Extra Crispy: 510 calories/33 grams fat; KFC Chicken Breast – Grilled: 190 calories/6 grams fat.
I-Can Order Items Plain or pile on low-calorie/low-fat toppings like: lettuce, tomato, onion, peppers, cucumbers, mustard, salsa.
I-Can Skip the Chips – Skip the tortilla chips, breadsticks or rolls entirely by having the server take them away, or take one serving, then send the rest back to the kitchen. — Quick tip: One restaurant order of tortilla chips contains four ounces of chips, which packs a total of 570 calories and 27 grams of fat.
I-Can Order Water – this can save hundreds of calories per meal and hundreds of dollars over time!
I-Can Order Salads Smartly – Hold the cheese, mayo, sour cream, creamy sauces, salad dressing, and other high fat condiments and toppings. — Quick tip: McDonald’s Premium Bacon Ranch Salad–with Crispy Chicken and Ranch Dressing: 540 calories/35 grams fat; with Grilled Chicken and Low Fat Italian Dressing: 320 calories/12 grams fat.
Although all these tips should turn you into a fast food ordering expert, your best bet is to eat at home and save money, time and calories!
Source: Food and Health Communications
“Knowledge for Life” provided by the Finney County Extension Office and K-State Research and Extension.
Choose melons for value and nutrition
Melons are probably one of the best values when it comes to food selection. Why? First of all, melons are cheap – right now a melon in season (cantaloupe or watermelon) is around .02 to .05 per ounce. Second of all, it is low in calories and full of water and fiber which helps you feel fuller on fewer calories.
Melon is a better value than a value meal
If you ate a pound of melon, it would cost, on average, about .50 cents. Better still, it would only contain about 144 calories and barely any fat or sodium. Compare that to the “value menu” double burger from your favorite fast food restaurant. One double burger is about $1. But it is only 5 ounces – so you would have to eat 3 of them to get one pound – and that amounts to $3 and about 1170 calories, 2760 mg of sodium and almost 60 g of fat.
You might laugh because you would not eat a whole pound of anything at one sitting. But over the course of the day you probably eat several pounds of food. So, the big question is: are you eating mostly burgers or mostly fruits and veggies? When you want value, think of your health and choose more melon and other fruits and vegetables, not the fast food board offerings.
Melon is a great “shopping stretcher”
Melon can sit at room temperature for a few days. So, while you eat all of the produce that perishes faster, like peaches and berries, the melon is patiently waiting and gently ripening. After a few days you can slice it and have fruit for the rest of the week. It is like you went shopping again! Hint: if you are buying several kinds of melons, it is best to use up the watermelon first, within three days. Cut melon of all types should always be stored in the refrigerator.
Melon is a great multi-vitamin food
A serving of watermelon, cantaloupe or other melon is an excellent source of Vitamins A, B6 and C plus a healthy amount of potassium and fiber.
SEE your melons for easy serving
Follow the SEE principal for melon preparation: Slice, Eat, Enjoy! How easy is that?