Dialysis: Are You Going to Eat That? 5 Food-Safety Tips to Protect Your Health

Dialysis: 5 Food-Safety Tips to Protect Your Health

Are you going to eat that? You probably wouldn’t eat potato salad that’s been sitting in the sun for hours on the picnic table. That’s a recipe for stomach issues. 

But are you practicing smart food-safety habits? When you have kidney disease, it could save your life. Or at least save you a trip to the hospital and gastrointestinal discomfort. 

Having kidney disease makes it harder for your immune system to fight off infection from foodborne contaminants. Here’s some food for thought. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

• 1 in 6 adults in the U.S. get sick from foodborne illness every year
• About 128,000 hospital visits are linked to foodborne illness
• An estimated 3,000 people a year die from foodborne illness

Do yourself a favor, and follow these 5 food-safety tips to protect your health:

1. Wash your hands

When you’re on kitchen duty to make your next meal, wash your hands before you get started. Rinse your hands. Lather up with soap. Scrub for 20 seconds, palm-side up, palm-side down, in between your fingers, and under your nails. Rinse, and dry off with a clean towel.

2. Clean prep surfaces

Clean and sanitize countertops, cutting boards, tabletops, sinks, utensils, and any other surfaces you’ll be using to prep your food. 

3. Separate raw foods

This includes meat, poultry, fish, and eggs. Start at the grocery story by keeping these foods separate from fruits, vegetables, and other unpackaged foods that could be contaminated by raw meat, poultry, fish, and eggs. Keep them separate when you get home. And don’t use the same plate or cutting board for raw and cooked meat without washing first.

4. Cook until done

Every kitchen needs a meat thermometer. It’s the safest way to make sure your food is fully cooked to an internal temperature of at least 165°F. You can’t always tell if food is fully cooked just by looking at it.

5. Chill out

Never leave raw meat, poultry, fish, or eggs out at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Same for leftovers. Get perishable food in the fridge or freezer as soon as possible. Leftovers are only good in the fridge for 3-4 days. After that, store it in the freezer or throw it out.

Want to take the guess-work out of eating healthy meals and avoiding foodborne illnesses? Fill your freezer with your favorite Dialysis-Friendly meals made from fresh ingredients.They’re made from fresh ingredients, and ready to eat in minutes.