While children rely on teachers for daily lessons, making safe lunches falls squarely on caregivers. Unlike cafeteria workers who regularly take food safety training, most parents preparing lunch for their kids at home or taking it to school haven’t received any formal food safety instruction. Nutrition counts, too. The lunch you’re making satisfies the hunger pangs of busy kids and fuels their cognitive abilities. Studies have shown that proper nutrition improves students’ scores, memory capacities, motor skills, social skills, and language skills. Keep them well-fed and safe with the four steps to food safety – Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill.
Clean: The best way to prevent many forms of illness, including foodborne illness, is with proper hand washing. Children should always clean their hands before eating, and parents should do so before and during lunch preparation. It’s easy to get preoccupied with busy schedules and rush through the five steps of washing hands; however, handwashing is vital to remove any germs that may be present. Hand washing should always include the following:
Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap.
Rub your hands together with soap. Be sure to lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.
Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
Dry your hands using a clean towel.
Separate: Prevent cross-contamination by keeping raw meat and poultry away from ready-to-eat foods. When preparing perishable foods that require cutting (for example, raw bacon and raw chicken you plan to cook for salad), separate these items from fruits, vegetables, cheeses, and other foods to avoid cross-contamination.
Cut up and prepare your raw ingredients to avoid cross-contamination when handling your ready-to-eat items for salads or other sides.
Different colored cutting boards are a great reminder to prevent cross-contamination (you can use a green cutting board for fresh produce and another color for meat and poultry).
Cook: Have a food thermometer easily accessible to ensure you’re cooking to recommended safe internal temperatures:
Cook whole cuts of meat, including beef and pork, to 145 degrees Fahrenheit and allow them to rest for at least 3 minutes before carving.
Cook ground meats, like burgers and sausages, to 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cook all chicken and turkey to 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Chill: When preparing lunch ahead of time, remember that perishable foods should not be placed in the Danger Zone—temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit—where bacteria multiply quickly and can make food unsafe.
Ensure all perishable items are refrigerated within two hours of coming out of the oven or refrigerator.
Discard food left out for more than two hours to prevent foodborne illness.
If your child needs to carry their lunch, never pack perishable foods in a brown paper bag because they will be unsafe by lunchtime. Use an insulated, soft-sided lunch bag and add a frozen gel pack and a frozen juice box or bottle of water with the lunch.
These four steps – Clean, Separate, Cook and Chill – give parents and caregivers steps they can use to protect their children from food poisoning. Now that we’ve covered all the basics, you’re ready for the big test – hungry students!
Kitchen Safety for Kids: Fun & Secure Cooking Tips
Kitchen safety involves avoiding and looking for potential hazards. Focus your attention on four main areas.
Fire and Electrical Hazards
Food Preparation
Food Safety and Cleanliness
Create a Child-Friendly Kitchen
Fire and Electrical Hazards
1. Use a 3-prong grounded connection on all appliances. 2. Do not use extension cords. 3. Discard any broken or damaged appliances. 4. Turn off burners immediately when not in use. 5. Keep dish towels, pot holders, and paper towels away from the stove or other hot areas where they can catch fire. 6. Do not leave candles burning unattended. Place in flameproof containers. 7. Keep a fire extinguisher in or near the kitchen, but away from the stove or other hot areas. 8. Keep lighters and matches away from the reach of children.
Kitchen Safety - Fire Hazards
Food Preparation
1. Turn the handles of cooking pots and pans away from the front of the stove. 2. Be careful when removing the lid from hot foods. The heat can burn you.
3. Never leave cooking foods unattended!! 4. Close cabinet doors and draws when not in use.
5. Make sure appliances with sharp areas are unplugged before touching them. 6. Use proper lifting techniques when carrying heavy items.
7. Knives - Always cut away from the body when using a knife. Cut using a proper cutting surface. Keep knives clean. Do not leave knives soaking in water. When cleaning the blade, keep the sharp edge away from hands.
Kitchen Safety: Knife Safety
Food Safety and Cleanliness
There are ways to avoid food poisoning and accidents by proper handling of foods and keeping yourself and your work area clean.
1. Clean up spills immediately. 2. Always wash your hands before working in the kitchen. Wash with soap and water for 20 seconds before and after handling food. 3. Wash kitchen surfaces often, and wash platters before refilling them with fresh food.
4. Keep uncooked and ready-to-eat foods separate. Juices from raw meat may cross-contaminate other food if they contain harmful bacteria.
5. Use one cutting board for raw meat and poultry and another one for vegetables. If you use only one cutting board, wash it with hot soapy water after preparing each food item. 6. Use a food thermometer to be sure foods are cooked safely. Steaks should be cooked to 145 °F, ground beef cooked to 160 °F, and all poultry cooked to 165 °F. 7. Never hold hot or cold foods for more than two hours at room temperature, or between 40 °F and 140 °F. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers promptly. 8. When in doubt, throw it out; do not eat it.
Cooking and spending time in the kitchen is fun for kids, and also provides parents with an opportunity to teach children. Here are tips to create a kid-friendly kitchen:
Ingredients/Directions 1 cup Chili with Beans 1 Tablespoon Gorgonzola Cheese Heat chili. Top with cheese.
Nutritional Analysis Services
Ensure accurate and cost-effective nutritional analysis for your recipes and menus utilizing an extensive research database. A great service for the Media, Cookbook Publishers, Writers, Chefs, Recipe Websites, and Blogs. Your readers will enjoy and benefit from the Nutrition information.
Ingredients/Directions 1 cup Chili with Beans 1 Tablespoon Gorgonzola Cheese Heat chili. Top with cheese.
Nutrition Information
Nutritional Analysis Services
Ensure accurate and cost-effective nutritional analysis for your recipes and menus utilizing an extensive research database. A great service for the Media, Cookbook Publishers, Writers, Chefs, Recipe Websites, and Blogs. Your readers will enjoy and benefit from the Nutrition information.
Cooking and spending time in the kitchen is fun for kids, and also provides parents with an opportunity to teach children about healthy nutrition. Here are tips to create a kid-friendly kitchen:
Cooking with Kids - Kitchen Safety - The Smart Shopper
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