Episode 25 - Food Safety - Cook it Real Good

Kaleigh from the blog Lively Table shares her food safety tips to help keep us safe and well in the kitchen. Learn how to defrost and store meat and poultry, store leftovers and how to keep buffets safe.

Today's episode is all about food safety.

I chat with Kaleigh, a registered dietitian, food blogger, and creator of the blog Lively Table, where she creates nourishing, delicious recipes made with real ingredients, as well as no-BS nutrition tips, approachable wellness and healthy living tips, and sprinkles of real life as a mom. Kaleigh holds a bachelor’s degree in nutrition and dietetics, and a master’s in clinical nutrition, but her real passion is being in the kitchen and helping others discover the joy of cooking and eating. She believes that healthy looks different on everyone, and her goal is to support readers on their journey to eating what makes them feel good with tasty, simple to prepare recipes. Kaleigh currently lives in west Texas with her husband and two daughters.

Kaleigh gave some great advice on how to keep ourselves safe in the kitchen, and I loved her candid and honest attitude when it comes to food safety. The truth is we all do things that may not be perfect but there's some things to be more worried about than others!

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

This week's recipe of the week is my Greek Zucchini Fritters. It's the crazy season where everyone's busy finishing work for the year, organising presents, preparing the house for guests and with all of that the last thing you want to be doing it making something difficult for dinner right? These Greek Zucchini Fritters are super easy, and can be paired with a greek salad or some simple veggies.

LISTEN IN

Listen in to today’s episode on Apple, Stitcher or Spotify.

Episode 25 - Food Safety

WHY CAN FOOD MAKE US SICK?

Bacteria in food can cause us to get sick. This isn't just in meat but also in vegetables and grains. When the bacteria multiples too much and we ingest it we get sick.
Two main factors to keep those bacteria to a minimum - time and temperate.

HOW TO THAW AND STORE UNCOOKED MEAT / POULTRY PROPERLY?

Safest way to thaw meat is in the refrigerator, especially large cuts around the holidays.
Store them in a pan that will catch any juices and in the lower part of the fridge.
You can also defrost tightly wrapped meat in a bowl of cold water.

COOKING MEAT AND POULTRY PROPERLY

Invest in a meat thermometer - best way to know the temperature is safe! Doesn't have to be expensive.

HOW TO SAFELY PREP FOOD

Wash hands before we prep food for 20 seconds with soap and warm water.
Wash hands when we switch from handling something raw to ready to eat foods.
Don't rinse chicken - spreads juices all over the sink.

HOW TO STORE LEFTOVERS

Be sure to put away and store leftovers within 2 hours of them coming out of the oven or stove.
Leftovers should be eaten within 3-4 days in the fridge, or can stay longer in the freezer.
Reheat leftovers to a safe temperature - 165F / 74C will make sure it's safe to eat.
Always ire on the side of caution.