Since I try to make cooking at home a habbit - to know and choose better what goes in my body, I thought it would be helpful to gather asome more information on how to cook healthy and safely . So here's a few questions to those of you who have longer experience with cooking:

* I read on the internet that cooked food should not stay out for more than 4 hrs. I haven't always put a timer when waiting for soup pots to cool down. How are you doing it? Are you cooling the pot in the sink or do you wait until it's cold enough to place in the fridge?

* Do you buy fresh or frozen meat, fish and veggies? If you buy fresh ones, do you always cook them the same day? Do you freeze fresh meat? Do you separate meat from veggetables in the freezer?

* What kind of pots do you use? It seems that frying pans are not the safest thing ever, but they are so convenient.

Good for you for trying, i'm sure your effort will be rewarded.

Non-stick pans are okay, as long as you don't use them at a high heat, save that for all metal pans.

I prefer fresh beef, but frozen chicken for somethings and almost always frozen seafood. Chicken breasts seen to stay juicier if cooked from frozen. Put some oil on them and some seasoning, put in 375 oven till done, pretty quick and simple. don't over cook, maybe 20-25 minutes if frozen.

good luck, i'm sure this thread will come up with lots of good ideas.

I cook a lot at home as well and i also work in a deli so have got food safety certificates. I will try to answer some of your questions.

Cooked foods should not be left out for any longer than necessesary due to bacterial growth in the food. Ideally no longer than 20 min for food that has come out of the fridge to go back in. For hot foods just cooked leave to cool down with a lid on or covered and then straight into the fridge. Don't put hot food in the fridge because that will increase the temperature within the fridge and the foods in there are at danger from bacteria growth. I generally don't try and cool my foods extra quick just let them do it naturally. It doesn't take long.

When you buy fresh meat it doesn't have to be cooked the same day - go by the use by date on the package. Just make sure they are kept in the fridge. I freeze a lot of meat and veg, just remember it should be used within a month of freezing. I do tend to keep my meat and veg separate in the freezer but thats mainly so i can find them. Everything in the freezer should be well wrapped and the bacterial growth has slowed to a very low point. If you are worried about cross contamination from raw to cooked or veggies keep them separate.

I hope this answered some of your questions and people feel free to dispute what i've said I ony have basic food safety training.

thanks, ladies - good info

I buy a lot of fresh meat and then freeze it. I definitely keep meat frozen longer than a month, but the meat is wrapped very well, and placed in a freezer bag as soon as I get it home from the store. At the first sign of discoloration or freezer burn, it goes in the trash. There's a good guideline here: http://life.familyeducation.com/foods/safety/36569.html.

I also separate my veggies, meats, and fruits in the frig and in the freezer. It's mainly out of habit. I hardly ever buy frozen veggies, but not because they are bad, just because my preference is fresh.

I only have 2 non-stick frying pans. The rest are stainless steel, and cast iron. A crockpot is also excellent for easy, nutritious, low-cal food. I try to use smart balance in lieu of butter, or an olive oil spray (the misto). I don't like the way Pam and other sprays taste, but some people do, and they are reaping the rewards of less calories. :)

For leftovers, I cool the covered pot on the stove while we eat dinner. Then I transfer the contents to a container and move it to the frig. For soups and stocks, if they stay out too long, I think I learned (via Alton Brown) to bring them to a rolling boil for at least 5 minutes, when you re-heat.

sabbles,

kaja, my trouble with separating the food in the fridge is the size of it.

Btw, from what I know, cooked food is best consumed within 4 days.

How and for how long do you guys keep peanut butter? I know some sorts are to be stored in the fridge. What about nuts? Do you keep them in the fridge, once opened, or just in cupboards, away from light?

I like the taste of fresh vegetables better than that of frozen, but I try to always keep frozen vegetables around. They are so handy, and on busy days I'd rather eat frozen veggies than some other high calorie food. I LOVE the Bird's Eye Steamfresh veggies.

Also, about meat - I only eat fresh seafood. Not that frozen is necessarily bad, it's just a personal preference. And I freeze lots of other meats - chicken, beef, pork - mostly because it is more cost effective to buy in bulk and then split it up at home. As long as you eat it in a reasonable amount of time (which to me is within a couple of months), then I think it's perfectly fine.

Dewdrop - I keep nuts in the fridge. Not sure why though - probably because that's how my mom and grandmother always did it.