‘‘Tis the season for family, festivity, and food—lots of food. Temptations are everywhere, and parties and travel disrupt daily routines. What’s more, it all goes on for weeks.

You may not be able to control what food you’re served, and you’re going to see other people eating tempting treats. Meet the challenges armed with a plan:

-Eat close to your usual times to keep your blood sugar steady. If your meal is served later than normal, eat a small snack at your usual mealtime and eat a little less when dinner is served.
– Invited to a party? Offer to bring a healthy dish along.
-If you have a sweet treat, cut back on other carbs (like potatoes and bread) during the meal.
-Don’t skip meals to save up for a feast. It will be harder to manage your blood sugar, and you’ll be really hungry and more likely to overeat.
-If you slip up, get back to healthy eating with your next meal.”

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – CDC
(https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/library/features/holidays-healthy-eating.html)

Food is as much a part of holiday gatherings as football, decorations and caroling. This holiday season, keep food safety in mind every step of the way, including proper planning, safe shopping, working in the kitchen and wrapping up leftovers.

Regarding the people being the host and hostess cooking the meal for the holiday remember this:

Christmas grocery shopping

For fresh turkey, you need to cook it no later than two days after buying. If you are buying it in person, bring the turkey home as quickly as possible in a separate cool bag. Store your turkey in the bottom of the fridge away from other cooked foods and fresh produce to avoid cross contamination.

What size turkey?

In buying, storing and defrosting your turkey, here is helpful advice for dealing with birds of all sizes in the run up to Christmas. If defrosting, it is important to allow at least 24 hours for every 4/5 lbs (2/2½ kg) of weight. If in doubt, check out turkey defrosting time and tbe calculations listed on the directions of the turkey.

No Matter Vegan food or Meat food, to keep everyone safe follow these steps:

1. When you have cooked food and you are not going to eat it straight away or if there are leftovers after serving, place on a clean plate, cover and refrigerate within 2 hours.
2. Throw away any high-risk food that has been standing at room temperature for more than 2 hours and throw away all food scraps.
3. Remember to use clean dishes and utensils for cooked food to prevent cross-contamination.
4. Dividing food into smaller portions and putting it in a shallow dish can help to make it cool more quickly.
5. When you are cooling a turkey or other large bird, removing the legs will help it cool more quickly. It is important that leftover cooked rice is quickly cooled and then refrigerated.
6. Remember not put food in the fridge when it is still hot, because it could raise the temperature of the fridge and allow other foods to get too warm.
7. Never reheat leftovers more than once.
8. Leftovers stored in the fridge should be eaten within three days.

Proper Planning

Make sure your kitchen is equipped with what you need for safe food handling, including two cutting boards (one for raw meats and seafood and the other for produce and ready-to-eat foods), a food thermometer, shallow containers for storage, paper towels and soap. Store foods in the refrigerator at 40°F or below or in the freezer at 0°F or below. Check the temperature of both the refrigerator and freezer with an appliance thermometer.

Safe Shopping

It’s important to keep food safety in mind as you shop. Keep raw meat, poultry and seafood separate from ready-to-eat foods like fruit, vegetables and bread. Embrace fruits and vegetables that are oddly shaped but don’t purchase bruised or damaged produce, or canned goods that are dented, leaking, bulging or rusted, as these may become a breeding ground for harmful bacteria.

Choose cold foods last and bring foods directly home from the grocery store. Always refrigerate perishable foods, such as raw meat or poultry, right away.

Working in the Kitchen

In a holiday kitchen filled with family and friends, all hands may be on deck, but are those hands clean? Make sure everyone washes their hands thoroughly with clean, running water and soap for 20 seconds before and after handling food.

And when baking delicious holiday treats, remember that no one should eat raw cookie dough or brownie batter.

“Take your veggies and dip to the next level with this colorful crudité wreath. This vegetable appetizer is a stunner with white cauliflower, red tomatoes and green broccoli, green beans, snap peas, kale and Brussels sprouts. It’s also a delicious way to start your celebration with veggies (which there are rarely enough of at parties and holidays). The homemade ranch dip, which uses nonfat Greek yogurt in place of sour cream, takes just a few minutes to make, or you can use a healthy store-bought dip.”

EatingWell.com (https://www.eatingwell.com/christmas-recipes-to-make-forever-8411600)

Remember Safety for all!

   Bacteria

2

Plan a “bacteria-free buffet” with these easy tips for food safety when entertaining.  Bon appétit!

Entertaining is one of the mainstays of the holiday season — and helps commemorate milestone events throughout the year, too. With proper preparation, you can be creative and tempt your party guests with an array of fun platters while still keeping food safety in mind!

Size Matters

If you’re planning a buffet at home and are not sure how quickly the food will be eaten, keep buffet serving portions small.

• Prepare a number of small platters and dishes ahead of time, and replace the serving dishes with the fresh ones throughout the party.
• Store cold back-up dishes in the refrigerator and keep hot dishes in the oven set at 200 °F to 250 °F prior to serving. This way, your late arriving guests can safely enjoy the same appetizing arrangements as the early arrivals.

Take Temperatures

Hot foods should be kept at an internal temperature of 140 °F or warmer.

• Use a food thermometer to check. Serve or keep food hot in chafing dishes, slow cookers, and warming trays.
• Be aware that some warmers only hold food at 110 °F to 120 °F, so check the product label to make sure your warmer has the capability to hold foods at 140 °F or warmer. This is the temperature that’s required to keep bacteria at bay!
• Eggs and egg dishes, such as quiches or soufflés, may be refrigerated for serving later but should be thoroughly reheated to 165 °F before serving.

Chill Out

Cold foods should be kept at 40 °F or colder.

• Keep cold foods refrigerated until serving time.
• If food is going to stay out on the buffet table longer than 2 hours, place plates of cold food on ice to retain the chill.

Keep It Fresh

Don’t add new food to an already filled serving dish.

• Instead, replace nearly empty serving dishes with freshly filled ones.
• Be aware that during the party, bacteria from people’s hands can contaminate the food. Plus, bacteria can multiply at room temperature.

Watch the Clock

Remember the 2-Hour Rule: Discard any perishables left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours, unless you’re keeping it hot or cold.

• If the buffet is held in a place where the temperature is above 90 °F, the safe holding time is reduced to 1 hour.
• Watch the clock with leftovers, too! Whether you’re sending “doggie bags” home with guests or are saving them for yourself, leftovers should be refrigerated as soon as guests arrive home and/or within 2 hours!

Adapt “Old Family Recipes” Safely

Some of your favorite traditional recipes may call for raw or lightly cooked eggs. These may include homemade Caesar salad dressing, ice cream, custards, rice pudding, chocolate mousse, eggnog, and some sauces.

However, some raw eggs can contain harmful bacteria. These can be particularly dangerous when consumed by those at higher risk for foodborne illness – such as pregnant women, young children, older adults, and those who may have a weakened immune system because of organ transplants or diseases like diabetes, cancer, or HIV/AIDS.

Help keep your party guests safe by adapting your favorite egg containing recipes (or substituting prepared products for some items).    Here’s how:

• Add the eggs to the amount of liquid called for in the recipe, then heat the mixture until it reaches 160 °F on a food thermometer.OR
• Use store-bought products of the foods listed above, which are often already cooked or pasteurized. (Check the label to be sure.)
• Purchase pasteurized eggs. These eggs can be found in some supermarkets and are labeled “pasteurized.” Here are several types consumers can buy:
  • Fresh, pasteurized eggs in the shell (found in the refrigerator section).
  • Liquid, pasteurized egg products (found in the refrigerator section).
  • Frozen, pasteurized egg products (found in the frozen food section).
  • Powdered egg whites (found in the baking section).

“Going shopping this weekend  or week for children or already have, well consider this:

Inspect all toys before purchasing. Avoid those that shoot or include parts that fly off. The toy should have no sharp edges or points and should be sturdy enough to withstand impact without breaking. Choose toys that may appeal to different senses such as sound, movement, and texture; consider interactive toys to allow the child to play with others; and think about the size of the toy and the position a child would need to be in to play with it. Check them for age, skill level, and developmental level. Know ATSM label means the toy has met the American Society for Testing and Materials standards. Gifts of sports equipment should always be accompanied by protective gear (give a helmet with the skateboard). Keep kids safe from lead in toys. Do NOT give toys with small parts (including magnets and “button” batteries which can cause serious injury or death if ingested) to young children as they tend to put things in their mouths, increasing the risk of choking. If the piece can fit inside a toilet paper roll, it is not appropriate for kids under age three.”.

American Public Health Organization-APHA

(https://www.apha.org/Events-and-Meetings/APHA-Calendar/2021/2021-Safe-Toys-and-Gifts-Month)

“Prevent Blindness America has declared December as Safe Toys and Gifts Awareness Month. The group encourages everyone to consider if the toys they wish to give suits the age and individual skills and abilities of the individual child who will receive it, especially for infants and children under age three.   Inspect all toys before purchasing. Avoid those that shoot or include parts that fly off. The toy should have no sharp edges or points and should be sturdy enough to withstand impact without breaking, being crushed, or being pulled apart easily.  Look for labels that assure you the toys have passed a safety inspection – “ATSM” means the toy has met the American Society for Testing and Materials standards.  Do NOT give crayons and markers unless they are labeled “nontoxic”.  Do NOT give toys with ropes and cords or heating elements.”

American Public Health Association-ALPHA (https://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/apha-calendar/2019/safe-toys-and-gifts-month-2019)

“Weekends and holidays can be dangerous times on our roadways. Two of the most celebrated days of the year, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, also are among the most deadly. That’s why December has been recognized as National Impaired Driving Prevention Month. Taking personal responsibility for a safe ride saves lives.

Before taking that first drink, have a plan that includes a designated driver, a taxi or ride share, or an overnight stay at a friend’s home. Just a single drink can cause a decline in visual function, mental judgment and motor skills, resulting in driver impairment.

In the 1980s, the United States saw a significant reduction in alcohol-involved crashes due to lowering the legal driving limit to 0.08 blood alcohol concentration, increasing the minimum legal drinking age to 21 and instituting educational campaigns about the dangers of drinking and driving.

However, in the decades since, drivers with alcohol concentrations at or above 0.08 have remained involved in about one-third of all traffic fatalities in the U.S. That’s about 10,000 lives lost every year.

To reduce this toll, the National Safety Council supports:

● A national campaign educating Americans on impairment beginning with the first drink
● Efforts by states to lower the legal limit for blood alcohol concentration in drivers

The legal alcohol concentration limit in all states is 0.08. Research shows that for the majority of drivers, driving performance deteriorates significantly at this level.

However, the current U.S. culture regarding driving and alcohol is not supportive of lowering driving limits for all adult drivers. And despite drivers’ views of drinking and driving as a very serious threat, more than one in eight drivers admit to driving in the past year when they thought they were close to or over the legal limit.

NSC knows more must be done to educate our fellow citizens about alcohol impairment, and we believe change can happen as people know more. A strategy grounded in human behavior theory is needed to change those beliefs and ultimately influence widespread change.

Read the NSC Low Alcohol Concentration National Culture Change policy statement. It includes data, scientific evidence of impairment at low levels and background.”

National Safety Council – NCS (https://www.nsc.org/road/safety-topics/impaired-driving)

Two of the most celebrated dates in December – Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve – are also among the most dangerous. In 2018, drunk driving crashes claimed 108 lives in those two days alone, accounting for nearly half of total traffic deaths.

That is why organizations are teaming up with law enforcement agencies across the country throughout the month of December, which has been recognized as National Impaired Driving Prevention Month.

During December 2018, 839 people died in alcohol-related crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. While drunk driving deaths typically represent around a third of all traffic fatalities, that increased to nearly 50 percent on Dec. 24 and Dec. 31.

On Dec. 25, 2018, 35 people died in drunk driving crashes in 2018.

This is staggering.

The pain caused by one person’s choice to drive impaired is often permanent. Every single death left a permanent empty seat at the table and turned a time of celebration into tragedy.

And every single death was 100 percent preventable.

We’re asking everyone to take personal responsibility this holiday season by making a plan for a safe ride home before your celebrations begins. Designate a non-drinking, unimpaired driver. Take a taxi, a bus, or a train. Use a rideshare app like Uber. If you’re a host, provide an alternative to your guests, such as festive, non-alcoholic drinks offered by our partner Mocktail Beverages.

You can also show your commitment to drive sober by following this plan with a designated driver not drinking that night.

Drunk driving crashes increase throughout the month of December as more people travel and attend events where alcohol is served. That is why every U.S. President since Ronald Reagan has proclaimed December National Impaired Driving Prevention Month. President Donald Trump continued in that tradition in his term, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to prevent tragedies by making the decision to drive sober.

The proclamation also remembers victims of impaired driving, offers prayers for grieving families impacted by these tragedies and honors law enforcement who are on the front lines of the violent, preventable crime of impaired driving to many organizations involved in trying to help enforce this prevention or disaster car crashes due to a drunk driver .

Visit online to many other organizations to learn more on how you or loved ones in your life can get involved or just learn how to making your holidays at the end of the year a happy ones to have happy memories in your lifetime.