The start of March means that Spring is around the corner, which is a great time to lightened up and start thinking about doing some Spring cleaning, not just in your house, but shape up your body as well. Good thing March is National Nutrition Month to help you get started!

The focus of this year’s National Nutrition Month is “Bite Into A Healthy Lifestyle, which encourages everyone to adopt eating and physical activity plans that are focused on consuming fewer calories, making informed food choices and getting daily exercise in order to achieve and maintain a healthy weight, reduce the risk of chronic disease and promote overall health.”

When preparing delicious, nutritious meals for your family, it is critical that your kitchen is a clean, safe environment. Here are some friendly food safety tips from The American Dietetic Association to keep in mind:

-Wash your hands often with warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds, especially before and after preparing meals.

-Use different cutting boards to slice vegetables, meat, seafood, and poultry. This prevents against cross-contamination.

-Cook foods to proper temperatures.

-Reheat foods to at least 165 degrees.

-Cool foods to below 39 degrees (the temperature of a home refrigerator) within two hours of storing.

-Use your food thermometer if you are unsure of the temperature of your food.

-Don’t use a dull knife. Dull knives are harder to handle, may cause slippage and risk for injury increases.

-Use proper serving utensils. If you have children, invest in serving utensils that are suitable and easy to use by your kids.

-Food borne illnesses are not detectable by sight, smell or taste. Consult this website for more tips: www.homefoodsafety.org.

For more information, tips and nutrition advice, please visit the American Dietetic Association’s website, Eatright.org.