June 29, 2016 · Written by Foodtolive Team
Best Ways to Keep Food Clean and Safe
Today’s food industry is functioning in a way that often makes people worry about the presence of toxins in their food. However, there are many simple and effective steps you can take to solve this problem and keep food clean and safe. In order to avoid potentially harmful effects of chemicals contained in different products, you should pay your attention to the three main aspects of this issue: cooking clean, eating clean and keeping your kitchen clean.
Cooking Guidelines to Keep Food Clean
The ways you store, handle and process your food matters a lot as many toxins are contained in packages and the coating of cooking vessels. Avoid storing your products in plastic containers and don’t use them for heating your meals in a microwave. If such a container gets scratched, a harmful BPA can penetrate your food while heating so it’s better to use glass containers for this purpose.
A wide range of dangerous chemicals that are released at high temperatures can be found in the coating of non-stick cooking vessels so use them with moderate heat only. For cooking, at high temperatures, you can employ ceramic-coated cast iron or stainless steel. Non-stick vessels also require using wooden utensils as the metal ones can easily scratch the surface and increase the risks of toxins’ penetration to food.
The last important habit is to keep your food at the appropriate temperatures and properly wrapped – to limit its contact with the kitchen surfaces – no matter how clean they are. Of course, washing your hands before cooking as thoroughly as possible will also significantly help keep food clean.
Dietary Tips to Eating Clean and Healthy Food
- Buy fresh and organic products.
Going organic can save you a lot of worries at once because such foods are surely free from pesticides. Benefit from eating seasonal products as much as you can. If you have enough time and possibilities, you can grow your own favorite veggies or herbs to be sure they meet your demands of safety. - Drink clean water.
The quality of water is essential for your health as well. Unfortunately, even tap water may contain pesticides so consider an idea of obtaining a certified water filter. It’s not as expensive as buying bottled water and, moreover, will help you avoid contact with plastic once again.Sponsored by Food to live
- Develop a balanced diet.
Build up your diet based on veggies and whole grains. During the warm seasons benefit from eating fresh fruit (a recommended amount for an adult person is about 1-2 cups per day). Choose the ones rich in vitamin C as it will boost your immune powers and make you less vulnerable to toxins. Provide yourself with a good source of healthy proteins by consuming organic seeds. Don’t forget about adding enough saturated fats and antioxidants to your diet. Also, turn your attention to the numerous benefits of eating sprouts. - Avoid risky foods.
Canned products and foods packed in the plastic top of this list. Try to exclude processed food from your meals as it usually contains excessive amounts of sodium, sugar and unhealthy fats. Also, try to limit sugar and salt use in your diet to the maximum. You can replace salt with different tasty and useful spices and sweeten your meals with honey instead. - Peel fruit and vegetables if you doubt their complete safety.
If you are not quite sure that your veggies are free from chemicals and harmless enough, you can reduce the risks twice by simply peeling it as the main amount of dangerous components like pesticides are concentrated on the surface. Also keeping fruit and vegetables in warm water for a couple of hours helps to cleanse them more effectively than by simply washing them.
Keeping Your Kitchen Clean
To keep food clean, you must also pay attention to the environment you store it in. Buying organic washing agents is the first idea to consider this. Another important moment: even if we try to buy clean and fresh food that is free from pesticides, we can transfer them on our footwear from lawns, for example. Thus, taking your shoes off when you are indoors is another important safety measure.
Among the potential sources of harm in the kitchen are damp clothes which are a perfect place for bacteria development. Try to always keep your kitchen clothes clean and dry or simply benefit from using single-serve ones which you can throw away right after wiping.
You will probably be surprised but the beauty care you use can also influence the quality of your food. As such products as a hand cream, for example, are used on a daily basis, their components penetrate your skin daily and it doesn’t really matter how thoroughly you wash your hands before handling the food. However, using organic beauty care solves this problem effectively.
