Roasted Zucchini with Olive Oil

With the holidays upon us now it’s a great time to focus on what can be done to be even more diligent about what health and safety habits you choose to follow all year long. Whether you enjoy eating at home or eating out there are some key considerations to help ensure your optimal overall food, health and kitchen safety. While an entire book could be written on this subject matter, we will focus on the top ten things that will help you yield the most benefits over the holidays and 2020 new year.

What you buy at a grocery store or restaurant to put in your mouth is one of the key things you can control and decide on in advance. What you choose to consume is one of the biggest factors for your long term health and well being. Remember to choose wisely before you eat something because short term unhealthy choices can turn out to be long term harmful habits with lasting consequences.

Eleven Things to Think About for Health and Safety

  1. Artificial additives, colorings, flavorings, and preservatives in foods can cause a variety of health issues that affect your short term and long term health. Do your homework and learn about ingredients and labeling before you are faced with buying choices.
  2. Chemicals and cleansers are a serious source of a toxic burden that can negatively impact your health and well being. Natural cleaners are less expensive and safer for you and your family.
  3. Cooking methods wary far and wide. Avoid fried foods and microwaved foods because they create food that is most detrimental to your health. The best methods of cooking are low-temperature soups and sautéing in water. Crockpots are a great choice.
  4. Cutting boards can be a big problem and harbor potentially harmful bacteria for days. Avoid wooden cutting boards with cracks and gaps that can trap bacteria. Glass, plastic, and synthetic materials are easy to clean and sterilize.
  5. Fats and oils are a great source of confusion and misinformation. The best fats and oils to cook with are saturated fats at lower temperatures. Avoid cooking with any GMO canola, corn, soy, vegetable oil, or trans-fats. Butter and coconut are often your best choices.
  6. Foods that are highly processed and refined are some of the greatest concerns to steer clear of. The best choices are fresh nutrient-dense organic whole foods with minimal cooking.
  7. Ingredients on labels definitely deserve your full attention and concern. Learn to read the labels and understand what they are really saying and not telling you about the ingredients. There are so many ways to hide and list sugar so the reader is totally confused as to the true sugar content. Best to avoid all forms of corn sugar, corn syrup, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Karo syrup, and many other forms of corn-based sugar.
  8. Leaving food out for too long, at unsafe temperatures or improper storage of leftovers is a big reason for many cases of food poisoning and food spoilage. It pays to really maintain high standards at your home and the restaurants you choose to visit.
  9. Pans and pots are other areas to be cautious and become better educated. Avoid the nonstick pans and pots coated with Teflon and other harmful not stick chemical compounds. Choose safer options like quality cast iron, ceramic, glass, and stainless steel.
  10. Plastic bottles and storage containers are best avoided. There are so many toxins in plastic such as BPA, BPS, and phthalates that the more you can avoid the better off you will be. Choose glass containers and glass jars whenever possible.
  11. Storage of beverages, foods, and supplies is a key concern for any family so it is vital to learn health practices and procedures. Many foods are better if frozen to prevent spoilage. Be sure to use quality appliances and kitchenware to help ensure better safety standards in the kitchen.

Make Better Food Choices

Surround yourself with great resources and role models to help you make better food choices at the grocery store and restaurants.

The Food Babe, Jamie Oliver, Robyn O’Brien, Robyn Openshaw, and Dr. Joseph Mercola are great resources for better education on food and food preparation.

Passion for People & Planet

The passion and purpose of Morningstar NEWS is to condense hours of research down to two minutes of education, information and inspiration for a healthy lifestyle and mindset. Remember, you have the ultimate power to choose what you put into your mouth which will determine your long term health and wellbeing… choose wisely. What will you do to make your food, health, and safety a higher priority in order to be healthy for 2020 and beyond?

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