CHICAGO, Feb. 28, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Proper
preparation, cooking and storage can keep foods safe while
maintaining their flavor and nutrients. For National Nutrition
Month® and its 2014 theme "Enjoy the Taste of Eating
Right," the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' and ConAgra Foods'
Home Food Safety program offers ways to get the most flavor out of
foods while reducing the risk of food poisoning.
"Taste is typically what we have in mind when we prepare food,
but it's also important to consider how we're preparing foods and
how this could affect food safety," said registered dietitian
nutritionist and Academy spokesperson Bethany Thayer. "Each year, 48 million Americans
are sickened by food poisoning. By following a few simple steps,
you can reduce your risk while enjoying the flavorful, nutritious
foods you love."
The Home Food Safety program is dedicated to raising awareness
about food poisoning and helping Americans easily and safely handle
food at home. Thayer's tips include:
Preparing Foods with Nutrition, Flavor and Safety in
Mind
"Properly handling and preparing food is key to food safety, and
can also affect the quality of foods," Thayer said.
- Whether they are organic or conventionally grown, wash all
fresh fruits and vegetables with cool tap water. Avoid soaking
fruits and vegetables as you wash because some nutrients dissolve
in water.
- Leave edible skins on vegetables and fruits such as carrots,
potatoes or pears, and trim away as little skin as possible. Most
vitamins and minerals are found in the outer leaves, skin and areas
just below the skin, not in the center. Peels also are natural
barriers that help protect against nutrient loss.
- Cut vegetables that need to be cooked longer into larger
pieces. With fewer surfaces exposed, fewer vitamins are lost.
Cooking for Nutrition, Flavor and Safety
"How food is cooked can enhance or destroy flavor. Get the most
flavor and nutrition out of your food, while also reducing the risk
of food poisoning," Thayer said.
- Overcooking meat can detract from its flavor. Use a food
thermometer to determine when meat has reached a safe minimum
internal temperature and to prevent overcooking. Cooking foods to a
safe temperature is the only reliable way to determine the doneness
of cooked meats, poultry, egg dishes and leftovers.
- Cook vegetables or fruits in a small amount of water, or steam
them in a vegetable steamer, covered pot or a microwave oven.
Steaming retains nutrients and there's a flavor advantage, too:
Unless they are overcooked, vegetables retain the color and
tender-crisp qualities that make them appealing.
Storing Foods for Safety and Flavor
"Poor storage destroys flavor and quality, while storing food
correctly helps keep nutrient loss to a minimum and flavor and food
quality at their peak," Thayer said.
- Keep your refrigerator at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below to
slow bacteria growth that spoils food and ruins flavor.
- Store opened packages of dry foods, such as rice and pasta, in
dry, airtight containers. This will keep out insects and rodents
and keep food from obtaining odors.
- Leave food in its original wrapping unless the package is torn.
If you have to rewrap, seal storage containers well to prevent
moisture loss and absorption of other odors. Wrapping raw meat,
poultry and fish in separate plastic bags also keeps raw meat
juices from contaminating other foods.
- When freezing, pack food items in freezer bags or airtight
containers. Squeeze air from bags before sealing and leave some
space in containers in case foods expand. If moisture escapes,
frozen food can become dry, tough and tasteless and may develop
freezer burn.
For more food safety tips, visit the award-winning
www.HomeFoodSafety.org and download the free Is My Food Safe? app
for Apple and Android devices.
Learn more about National Nutrition Month and how you can "Enjoy
the Taste of Eating Right" at www.EatRight.org/NNM.
All registered dietitians are nutritionists – but not all
nutritionists are registered dietitians. The Academy's Board of
Directors and Commission on Dietetic Registration have determined
that those who hold the credential registered dietitian (RD) may
optionally use "registered dietitian nutritionist" (RDN) instead.
The two credentials have identical meanings.
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and ConAgra Foods' Home
Food Safety program is dedicated to raising consumer awareness
about the seriousness of food poisoning and providing solutions for
easily and safely handling food in their own kitchens. More
information can be found at www.HomeFoodSafety.org.
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is the world's largest
organization of food and nutrition professionals. The Academy is
committed to improving the nation's health and advancing the
profession of dietetics through research, education and advocacy.
Visit the Academy at www.eatright.org.
ConAgra Foods, Inc., (NYSE: CAG) is one of North America's largest packaged food
companies with branded and private branded foods found 99 percent
of America's households, as well as a strong commercial foods
business serving restaurants and foodservice operations globally.
Consumers can find recognized brands such as Egg
Beaters®, Healthy Choice®,
Hunt's®, Marie
Callender's®, Orville
Redenbacher's®, and many other ConAgra Foods
brands, along with food sold by ConAgra Foods under private brand
labels, in grocery, convenience, mass merchandise, club stores and
drugstores. ConAgra Foods also has a strong commercial foods
presence, supplying frozen potato and sweet potato products as well
as other vegetable, spice, bakery and grain products to a variety
of well-known restaurants, foodservice operators and commercial
customers. For more information, please visit us at
www.conagrafoods.com.
SOURCE Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics