KTK-Nutrition

Who doesn’t like to eat out and enjoy meals with family or friends?   Many of us now bring hand sanitizer to restaurants when eating out and think we have done our “germ prevention”.   But did you know that there are many items in restaurants full of germs?   What are these items and what steps can you take to enjoy eating out without risking getting ill?   WebMD has a great article outlining these items, Germiest Things in Restaurants .    Menus:   Many times, I get to a restaurant and pull out my hand sanitizer, clean my hands, and then open the menu.   But WebMD notes some of the germiest items in a restaurant can be the menu.   Ever get a paper menu?   Paper menus are less germy than the plastic menus.         Suggestion :   Look at the menu and then wash or sanitize your hands, especially before enjoying some finger foods like many appetizers.   (See:   Healthy hints for choosing restaur...

When traveling this holiday season, you may find yourself eating at some food courts.   Most have a variety of food options.   Food courts also have a variety of germs that you really don’t want to partake of.   Dr. Oz has previously investigated food courts and recently did a show on food courts and why they can be full of germs – bacteria, fungi and even fecal matter.   What can you do to enjoy the food but leave the germs behind? Food Courts – where are the germs?    1.      Temperatures – often the food at food courts is lined up in pans along a window making it easy for you to see your choices.   But is the food being kept at the right temperature?   Dr. Oz reports on a study that found many food court establishments are not keeping hot foods hot and cold foods cold.   Hot foods should be kept at 140 degrees or warmer and cold foods at 40 degrees or cooler (e.g. salad bar foods).   When tested, foo...