YMCA Healthy Living Magazine, powered by n4 food and health (Summer 2016) | Page 6

RACHEL ROBERTS, APD
‘Rachel the Dietitian’ (www.rachelthedietitian.com) provides a range of nutrition services
as an Accredited Practising Dietitian. She offers individual consultations to help people
achieve their health goals, whether it be weight management or seeking to control a diet
related condition such as diabetes. Learn more about Rachel at n4foodandhealth.com

TOP TIPS FOR SAFE
SUMMER EATING

Nutrition expert Rachel Roberts shares her tips for eating safely this summer.
s the temperature heats up and the holiday period
begins, the summer season is a great time of year for
enjoying the outdoors. Garden parties, beach days,
country walks and riverside fun – the opportunities are endless.

maintaining hydration. With evenings outside, mosquito
protection can reduce the unpleasant itchiness of bites the
next day. As we take food outside, we also need to ensure
that we stay food safe.

Spending time outside brings with it a number of safety
measures. As the UV rises, sun protection is important for
reducing skin cancer risk, while access to water is vital for

Food safety outside includes both taking food outside that is
already prepared (e.g. a picnic) and taking food to be cooked
outside (e.g. a BBQ).

A

Here are four quick tips for food safety outdoors:

1

Keep cold food cold and hot food hot. The danger zone

2

Prevent cross-contamination of raw meat and other

for bacteria growth is between 5oC and 60oC. On a
lovely warm day, it is even more vital that you are
suitably prepared to keep cold food below 5oC through
refrigeration (e.g. in an esky) and hot food above 60oC
until you are ready to eat.

uncooked produce. This means keeping uncooked
meat away from fresh and uncooked produce, such as
fruit or salads. It also refers to making sure that you
don’t reuse any plate/container that has had contact
with raw meat unless it has been properly cleaned.

Considering food safety doesn’t mean you
need to disregard healthy eating messages.
Simple food swaps can be positive changes
towards better health. Swapping the white
bread at your sausage sizzle to a wholegrain
variety will increase fibre intake while
swapping soft drink for water will reduce
energy and sugar intake.
Remember also to include fruit and
vegetables in your diet. Summer brings lots
of beautiful seasonal produce so enjoy it in
abundance. With salads on trend, there are
many exciting and colourful combinations,
which incorporate a number of ٕ