How to Avoid Food Poisoning aka How I Lost Weight in Disney World

A couple weeks ago, I wrote about how I was heading to Disney World on vacation.  Well, I went, I’m back, and I had a great time!  There was one little setback, though.  On the second-to-last day, I got food poisoning and was stuck in the hotel room all day while the rest of my family went on rides and soaked up the sun.  Now, I’m determined to help you all avoid suffering the same fate as me.  Read some hints on how to avoid food poisoning after the jump.

Now, you can get food poisoning for many different reasons.  The food you are eating could have been stored improperly, undercooked, contaminated with with an illness, or all sorts of other things.

Here’s how to avoid food poisoning when you’re making the food yourself:

1. Keep cold food cold. When you buy refrigerated meats at the store, buy them near the end of your shopping trip so you can head straight home and pop them in the fridge.  No stopping at the Target when you have frozen chicken in your hot car!  The more your food thaws, the more bacteria it is likely to develop. If you are need to thaw frozen meats, thaw them in the refrigerator in cold water.

2. Wash your hands. Any good chef should know that washing their hands before, after, the during the cooking process is essential.  If you have a cold and prepare food with unwashed hands, those cold germs could translate to food poisoning in someone else.

3. Separate your food. For example, don’t let your uncooked chicken come in contact with other foods that you are planning to eat raw.  Also, don’t use the same chopping board (or side of the chopping board) for both your meats and your vegetables.

4. Cook everything thoroughly. Raw eggs and undercooked chicken can carry salmonella, so be sure that everything you make is cooked through.  Pork and most fish also have to be cooked thoroughly.  Even red meat can carry bacteria and make you sick if you don’t cook it enough.

Here’s how to avoid food poisoning when you’re getting the food at a restaurant:

1. Use your judgment. Don’t buy sushi from a truck stop.  Don’t get a hot dog from a gas station.  Don’t eat at a place that has flies everywhere.  Make sure the place of business appears clean and eat only “safe” foods if you’re in doubt.

2. Order your food thoroughly cooked. I got food poisoning from ordering a rare beef tenderloin at a very high-quality restaurant, so it can happen anywhere.  Just to be safe, order your steaks and burgers cooked to medium doneness.

3. Be smart with leftovers.If you get a doggie bag, only keep the leftovers for a day or two.  Also, only reheat the food ONCE.  If you heat it all, eat some, put it back in the fridge, then reheat it again and have it for dinner, you’re putting yourself at risk.  Either separate what you want, then heat it up, or just heat it all up one time.

So eat carefully, use your head, and cook with caution!  You don’t want to end up bed-ridden like I was!

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  • Polishare Auto

    I’m sorry you got food poisoning during your vacation. But thank you very much for all the tips and pieces of advice on food poisoning.

  • grace

    i may be jinxing myself here, but i’ve never gotten poisoned by food…KNOCK ON WOOD. i appreciate your pointers (and i’m sorry it hit you while you were on vacation!).

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