10 Golden Tips from the World Health Organization for Preparing Healthy Foods

Unfortunately, it is becoming more and more impossible for metropolitan people to consume healthy foods. Just as we cannot consume anything natural, we can never be sure of the safety of the ready-made foods we consume. In this regard, the World Health Organization (WHO), which conducts international studies on public health, gives some warnings in order to promote healthy food consumption.

Here are some  recommendations of the World Health Organization for people to prepare healthy food .

1. You should prefer the “processed” ones of some foods

Perceptually, we all think that unprocessed food would be healthier. In fact, what’s true about fruits and vegetables is that they’re not really unprocessed. However, “some foods” can be extremely harmful if left unprocessed. For example, pasteurized milk should always be preferred instead of raw milk. Because while foods are processed to prolong their shelf life, they are also processed to increase their safety.

2. You must cook food very well

Raw foods such as meat, eggs and milk can be contaminated with organisms that can cause some diseases. The way to kill these organisms is to cook raw foods well. The World Health Organization especially emphasizes: If the temperature of all parts of the cooked food does not reach 70 degrees, the organisms continue to live, so you must ensure that it is fully cooked.

3. You should consume cooked foods as soon as possible.

As soon as the cooked food reaches room temperature, the number of microbes on it begins to increase. Therefore, keeping these foods waiting means the proliferation of microbes. The World Health Organization especially emphasizes that cooked foods should be consumed while they are hot in order to be healthy.

4. There are very important points to consider when storing cooked foods.

When storing cooked food, you need to make sure you can keep it hot enough (above 60 degrees) or cold enough (10 degrees and below). Especially if you are going to store these foods for more than 4-5 hours, this rule is vitally important.

You should definitely not store foods prepared for babies.

In addition, since the inside of the cooked food, which is placed in the refrigerator in a cramped way, cannot be cooled in a short time enough, microbes may begin to grow in these parts. That’s why you have to be especially careful.

5. The precaution you can take against germs that may reproduce during storage: Reheating these foods well

Proper storage conditions for cooked foods slow the growth of microbes, but they do not kill them. Therefore, heating the food to 70 degrees on all sides is the best preservation method that can be applied.

6. It is also very important that cooked foods and raw foods do not come into contact with each other.

If a cutting board used for shredding uncooked chicken is used for cooked food without washing it, organisms that can cause disease can infect the cooked food. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully avoid the contact of cooked foods with raw foods.

7. You should wash your hands repeatedly, not just before touching these foods

Your hands can carry organisms on different foods; You should wash your hands frequently, just as you should wash the knife you use for raw food before using it for cooked food.

8. You should pay attention to the cleanliness of the surfaces used while preparing the foods.

Because each piece of food is sufficient to prepare the appropriate environment for microbes. You should frequently change and boil cloths that come in contact with dishes and other utensils. You should keep the cloths you use for floor cleaning separately from them.

9. You must protect your food from insects and indeed all animals

Of course, sharing the same house with our animal friends is perfect. Unfortunately, these animal friends can carry disease-causing microorganisms. Therefore, it will be the most appropriate for health to store your food in closed boxes.

10. Using clean water while preparing food is as important as drinking clean water

If you have doubts about the water you use, you should definitely boil this water before using it. You should pay special attention to the water you use in the foods you will prepare for babies.