Tag Archives: food

Nutrition and Meals- Free for Low Income Seniors and those with Disabilities

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Being hungry is a terrible feeling but one that many seniors live with due to budget constraints. The California Department on Aging offers programs to help low income seniors who are in need of meals.

According to their website, Congregate Nutrition Services provide meals in a group setting. Services also include nutrition and health promotion education, and opportunities for socialization. People eligible for Title III C-1 nutrition services are 60 years of age or older, individuals with a handicap or disability who meet specific criteria, spouses of eligible participants regardless of age, and volunteers who provide needed services during meal hours. Project facilities and operations conform to health and safety standards and provide safe, wholesome and nutritious meal services to older clients.

Home Delivered Meal Services are available to people, age 60 or older, who are home bound by reason of illness, incapacity, or disability, or who are otherwise isolated. Because home bound meal recipients are typically older and frailer, they are usually referred to the program by a hospital, a family member, or other referral service. Most home-delivered meal programs provide their clients with a hot meal five days a week delivered by staff or volunteer drivers. In addition, nutrition education is provided.

For more information on these programs call 1 (800) 510-2020.

How to Prevent Foodborne illness

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  1. Clean: Wash produce. Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables in running tap water to remove visible dirt and grime. Remove and discard the outermost leaves of a head of lettuce or cabbage. Because bacteria can grow well on the cut surface of fruit or vegetable, be careful not to contaminate these foods while slicing them up on the cutting board, and avoid leaving cut produce at room temperature for many hours.
  2.  SEPARATE: Don’t cross-contaminate one food with another. Avoid cross-contaminating foods by washing hands, utensils, and cutting boards after they have been in contact with raw meat or poultry and before they touch another food. Put cooked meat on a clean platter, rather than back on one that held the raw meat.
  3. COOK: meat, poultry, and eggs thoroughly. Using a thermometer to measure the internal temperature of meat is a good way to be sure that it is cooked sufficiently to kill bacteria: 145°F for whole meats (allowing the meat to rest for 3 minutes before carving or consuming), 158°F for ground meats, and 165°F for all poultry. Eggs should be cooked until the yolk is firm.
  4. CHILL: Refrigerate leftovers promptly. Bacteria can grow quickly at room temperature, so refrigerate leftover foods if they are not going to be eaten within 4 hours. Large volumes of food will cool more quickly if they are divided into several shallow containers for refrigeration.