Foods Hermes-Belt

We`re all familiar with the idea of taking your tea or coffee to work in a thermos, but did you know that you can keep food warm in that handy container, as well? It`s nice to have a hot meal ready to go, even if you`ve been hard at work all morning and your thermos can help you do just that.

1. Soup. This one is pretty obvious, since it`s liquid. However, it`s worth mentioning because you can literally have a different soup every day for a month and never repeat! From minestrone to chicken noodle and cheddar chowder, you can enjoy delicious hot meals poured right out of your thermos.

2. Pasta. If you`ve ever had a hankering for ravioli at your noon break, this is a great way to satisfy it. You`ll find that this works best with a wide mouth thermos, as do most foods. When you cook your pasta, make sure you cook it to just over half done. That means, if you bite a piece of spaghetti in half, it should still have a white center. Other pastas should still be chewy. Pour the drained pasta into your thermos, add your favorite topping or sauce and seal it up.

3. Veggies. Cold, boiled vegetables are just nasty in most cases, but it doesn`t have to be that way. Pour them into your thermos, add a dab of butter and some salt and let them stay there until you`re ready to eat your steaming hot, delicious vegetables.

4. Pudding. If you don`t relish the thought of having lukewarm pudding in your Tupperware at noon, then try putting the cold pudding into your thermos in the morning. It will stay nice and cool until you`re ready to treat yourself.

5. Chili. Not technically a soup, this dish tends to taste best when hot, so put it in your thermos and pack a few slices of cornbread to enjoy with it. Your chili will still be piping hot when you`re ready to sit down to lunch at the office.

You can make it easier on yourself by purchasing a wide mouth thermos that will let you easily put food in and dump it back out. A long handled spoon is also very useful for getting the last bits of food out of the bottom of the thermos. And with that, you`re ready to start eating great, healthy meals at work.

Searching for healthy, inexpensive and versatile ways to add more protein into your diet? Why not think about dried beans? Dried beans, also recognized as legumes and pulses, aren’t only an excellent source of protein, but are low in fat, packed with vitamins, minerals and both soluble and insoluble fiber. Ask any vegetarian how they get sufficient protein in their diet plan and they most likely will say “I eat a lot of beans”.

I decided to become a vegetarian as a tiny child and my parents (who were not vegetarians by the way) worried that I could be lacking inside the protein essential for growth. So, following consulting with my pediatrician and many books on raising vegetarian kids, they added beans and lentils to the family table. Not only did I grow, but I am the tallest woman in my family, an enormous 5 feet five inches tall. Yea, nicely, my family is not famous for its tall women?

Protein, Fiber, Vitamins and Minerals

Ok, ok, back to the beans. Beans are an superb, non-fat source of protein. Just one cup of beans has about 16 grams, about the exact same as 3 ounces (audio cassette size) piece of chicken, fish or beef.

Simply because they’re a plant, they contain fiber, vitamins and minerals like vegetables. Nutritionists refer to them as “crossover foods” which means they can be employed in a meal as a protein or vegetable item. Take a take a look at the cuisines of various countries and cultures. You will notice that most cultures contain beans, prepared in numerous different ways. Such a versatile food!

Yet another distinctive top quality of beans is the fiber. Beans contain both soluble and insoluble fiber. Huh? What does this mean?

Insoluble fiber is the technical term for what my Mom often referred to as “roughage”. You know.. the stuff that makes food move via your body a lot more easily. Insoluble fiber has received plenty of publicity in recent years because of the link to a high fiber diet and lowered risk of numerous forms of cancer.

Soluble fiber forms a “gooey” substance in the digestive procedure that helps with processing of fats, cholesterol and slows the release of carbohydrates into the bloodstream. The American Diabetic Association loves beans!

Beans are rich in antioxidants, folic acid, vitamin B-6 and magnesium. Folic Acid and B-6 are identified for their ability to lower homocysteine levels inside the blood.

Elevated blood levels of homocysteine inside the blood are related to risk for heart attack, stroke and peripheral vascular illness. 20-40 percent of patients with heart disease have elevated homocysteine levels.

So, whats the downside of this wonderful food? In case you are not utilized to a high fiber diet flatulence. As with the introduction of any high fiber food, go easy with the amounts the first few days until your body adjusts. Then any uncomfortable feeling will possibly pass.

The best way to Cook

You can use canned beans which are nutritionally similar to dried ones. It is a great thought to rinse the beans just before eating them to get rid of the salt and preservatives used in canning.

I tend to attempt and stay away from processed foods where achievable so I buy dried beans and cook them following the directions on the package. Typically, beans are not complicated to cook, but need time. Most beans, except lentils, need an overnight soak in water to soften them up. Then they could be simmered until soft on the stove or in a slow cooker. Generally, the larger the bean, the longer they take to cook. One factor to note: following soaking, rinse the beans and cook them in new water. This will aid prevent flatulence!

Beans could be frozen right after cooking and employed in sauces, soups, salads or anywhere your imagination takes you. Where I live, red bean ice cream is well-liked. Delicious!

A Food borne illness is any illness caused by consuming foods or beverages contaminated with disease-causing microorganisms, hazardous chemicals or physical hazards. A food borne disease outbreak is when two or more people have the same illness after eating the same food. The food service industry regularly experiences tremendous financial losses due to food borne illness. Such losses can be significantly reduced, however, through knowledge and education.

Food borne illness and outbreaks are associated with such behaviors as poor personal hygiene, time and temperature abuse and cross contamination. These topics will be discussed in a later section. A food handler must report to their employer if they are diagnosed with,exposed to or exhibiting symptoms from Norovirus, hepatitis A virus, Salmonella typhi, Shigella spp. or shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli.

When a food handler becomes ill, proper precautions must be taken. To ensurethe safety of the consumers, the manager of the establishment will either restrict or exclude the ill food handler. Restriction is when a food handler(who does not serve highly susceptible populations) is allowed to work in the food establishment but is not allowed to perform tasks that would cause contamination of food or utensils. Exclusion is when a food handler is not permitted to work in a food establishment until they provide a written release from the proper authority.

The employer shall restrict food handlers that have been diagnosed with the following diseases: sore throat with fever, lesions containing pus, an infected wound, or discharges from the eyes, nose and mouth. Employees exhibiting these symptoms must report them to their employer.The employer shall exclude food handlers that have been diagnosed with the following diseases: Norovirus, hepatitis A virus, Salmonella typhi, Shigella spp. or shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli. Employees exhibiting these symptoms must report them to their employer.

There are additional requirements for contacting ready-to-eat foods with bare hands. Food handlers may contact ready-to-eat food with their bare hands if documentation is kept, that the food handler has signed, stating that they have received training on hand washing and additional control measures and that the establishment requires that employees must utilize two or more safeguards. These safeguards include double hand washing, nail brushes, hand sanitizer (antiseptics) after hand washing, incentive program or other approved control measures. These safeguards, however, are in addition to proper hand washing.

Documentation must be maintained at the food establishment that corrective actions are taken when any of the food borne illness, good hygienic practices or bare hand contact of ready-to-eat rules are not followed. In Texas it is best to be aware of these protocols by obtaining your Texas Food Handlers Certification and Food Handler Permit Texas.