Nothing is more important than the health of your children. Now that they’re back to school and you may be making lunch boxes for them, let’s review the important steps required to protect them from food-borne illnesses. Since September 21-27 is National Clean Hands Week, why not share these tips with everyone in the family?
1. The best way to wash your hands is with warm, clean, running water and soap. Try singing “Happy Birthday” twice while you’re washing. When you’re done, most of the germs have washed down the sink.
2. Dry your hands with an air dryer or paper towel. Use the towel to turn off the water spout.
- Wash your hands every time before you touch any food.
- Wash after eating, using the bathroom, touching pets, coughing and touching your face or hair.
- Work on a clean surface and use separate cutting boards for meats and fresh produce or bread.
- Rinse fruits and vegetables under running tap water and dry with a paper towel. Even wash fruits with rinds that won’t be eaten, like oranges.
- Keep lunches in the refrigerator overnight if they are made the night before.
- Use an insulated lunch box with insulated containers.
- Wash insulated lunch totes or boxes with hot soapy water after each use.
- Try using several individually packed fruits, snacks, puddings, pretzels, etc.
If you’re having trouble getting the kids to eat what you pack, try these suggestions:
· Kids like ready-to-eat things – a peeled and segmented orange is more likely to get eaten than a whole orange
· Kids like small things – use cookie cutters to cut up sandwiches or bake muffins in a mini-muffin pan
· Kids like dip - use small containers to create combinations like pretzels and peanut butter, salsa with chips, or vegetables with dressing
· Kids like crunchy - provide the lunch with raw vegetables or low-fat pretzels