Eat Healthy This Thanksgiving

Click here to read some tips for a healthy Thanksgiving. The key is to keep your willpower and your wits about you. Excess weight gain is unhealthy for everyone but a little indulgence can be fine with some sensible adjustments. Your tummy may not even accommodate a usual Thanksgiving feast.

Pregnant women can be especially prone to illness because their immune system is naturally depressed. One of the easiest and most effective ways people can avoid illness, including some food-borne bacterial infections is to keep their hands clean through regular washing, especially before eating or preparing food. Don't forget to remind your little helpers about this too.

On a holiday built around food, make sure dishes are cooked and stored properly. Cold items should stay refrigerated before cooking to prevent bacteria from flourishing. Everything cooks better when you keep the stuffing out of the turkey but, if you want to stuff your turkey, make sure the stuffing temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit to kill the bacteria (use a kitchen thermometer).

Make sure all food is cooked to the proper temperature, especially the turkey. The temperature must reach 180 °F in the thigh of a whole unstuffed turkey. This is more important than the time listed on the package. If the turkey is still slightly frozen or if you use a foil tent, it will take longer to cook. Usually it is recommended that the oven temperature be set at 325 degrees F. If dishes don’t reach their safe minimum internal temperatures, bacteria can survive.

Keep cooked food hot in the oven (between 200 and 250 degrees) or cold in the refrigerator until just before serving. So if the bird is done earlier than planned, keep it in the oven on low heat and cover with foil or a roasting pan lid to keep it juicy.

When serving use chafing dishes to keep hot foods at 140 degrees. Use ice bowls under cold foods to keep them at 40 degrees or lower. If foods need to be warmed again for late arriving guests or a later snack, reheat them to at least 165 degrees.

Once the meal is finished, put the leftovers away quickly. Not only will it help us avoid over-indulging, it’ll keep the leftovers safe. Most foods left out at room temperature for more than two hours should probably be thrown away.

Fruit pies, including apple and cherry, can be left out past two hours without problems, Chestnut says. But pumpkin pie and any cream-based pies should be refrigerated with the two-hour rule in mind.

Fruit pies can be left out longer but pumpkin and cream-based or with whipped cream should be refrigerated.

Enjoy this special time with your loved ones. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you from the WeeCare staff!