Food Management

The Learning Inventory of Skill Training-LIST

Created by CRMHC OT staff and students

 Basic:
(Must know 3 out of 5)
1. Knows it is important to wash hands before eating and preparing
food.
Wash your hands!!!
Your hands can easily spread bacteria around the kitchen and onto food. It's important to always
wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water:

• before starting to prepare food

• after touching raw food such as meat, poultry and vegetables
• after going to the toilet
• after touching the garbage bin
• after touching pets

Don't forget to dry your hands thoroughly as well, because wet hands
spread bacteria more easily.

11 Gross Things That Can Happen When You Don't Wash Your Hands Enough

1. You might catch more colds

2. You could get or spread food poisoning
3. You’re infecting everyone you touch
4. You could get pink eye
5. You could get or spread a disease
6. Diarrhea may become a frequent visitor
7. It could contribute to antibiotic resistance
8. Dirt will accumulate under your nails
Steps to Wash Hands

Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds (to help keep time, hum the Happy Birthday Song
twice)
 2. Can describe the five food groups and foods that contribute to a
healthy lifestyle

5 Food Groups
1. Dairy: the foods in this group are excellent sources of calcium, which is important for strong, healthy
bones. Not many other foods in our diet contain as much calcium as dairy foods.
2. Fruit: fruit provides vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber and many phytonutrients (nutrients naturally
present in plants), that help your body stay healthy.
3. Grain (cereal) foods: always choose wholegrain and/or high fiber varieties of breads, cereals, rice,
pasta, noodles, etc. Refined grain products (such as cakes or biscuits) can be high in added sugar, fat and
sodium.
4. Lean meats and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds: our body uses the protein we eat to make
specialized chemicals such as hemoglobin and adrenalin. Protein also builds, maintains, and repairs the
tissues in our body. Muscles and organs (such as your heart) are made of protein.
5. Vegetables, legumes and beans: vegetables should make up a large part of your daily food intake and
should be encouraged at every meal (including snack times). They provide vitamins, minerals, dietary
fiber and phytonutrients (nutrients naturally present in plants) to help your body stay healthy
 Healthy vs. Unhealthy Food
Healthy:

Unhealthy:
 Healthy vs. Unhealthy Worksheet
Check all foods that are HEALTHY

Apple
French Fries
Baked Potato
Chicken Nuggets
Grilled Chicken
Ice cream sundae
Oatmeal with fruit
Coco Puffs Cereal
Carrot Sticks
Mozzarella Sticks
Soda
Water
Answers:
• Apple,
• baked potato
• grilled chicken
• oatmeal with fruit
• carrot sticks
• water
 3. Knows name and appropriate use of cooking utensils
Kitchen Utensil: a small hand held tool used for food preparation. Common kitchen tasks include cutting food
items to size, heating food on an open fire or on a stove, baking, grinding, mixing, blending, and measuring;
different utensils are made for each task.
Measuring Spoons:

Used to measure the amount of ingredients called for by the recipe. This could
include tablespoons or teaspoons.

Measuring Cups:

Used to measure the amount of ingredients called for by the recipe. This could
include the measurements from 1/8 to 1 cup, 2 cups, etc.

Hand Mixer or Blender:

Mixes ingredients well. Used a lot in baking.

Whisk:

A wire kitchen utensil used for beating food by hand.

Pizza Cutter:

Used to cut food (pizza) into slices.

Fork/Knife/Spoon: Non-stick pan: used to cook the food over a stove

Used to eat.

Spatula/Flipper:

A broad, flat, flexible blade used to mix, spread and lift material

Colander or Sieve:
We commonly refer to both colanders and sieves as “strainers,” although technically
we use a colander to drain (discarding liquids like pasta water) and a sieve to strain
(saving liquids like broth for stock).

Cheese Grater:

Used to grate foods into fine pieces.

Spatula/Scraper:
A kitchen scraper is a kitchen implement made of metal, plastics (such
as polyethylene, nylon, or polypropylene), wood, rubber or silicone rubber. In
practice, one type of scraper is often interchanged with another or with
a spatula (thus scrapers are often called spatulas) for some of the various uses.
Vegetable Peeler:

A peeler is a kitchen tool consisting of a slotted metal blade attached to a handle that is
used to remove the outer skin or peel of certain vegetables, often potatoes and carrots, and
fruits such as apples, pears, etc.

Rolling Pin:
A rolling pin is a cylindrical food preparation utensil used to shape and flatten dough.

Can Opener:
Device used to open tin cans

Butcher Knife:
A butcher knife or butcher's knife is a knife designed and used primarily for the butchering
or dressing of animal carcasses.
 4. Knows appropriate storage place for different items
Tips on storing food and leftovers
Retrieved from: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/how-to-store-food-and-leftovers/

What goes in the Fridge?

o Some foods need to be kept in the fridge to help slow down germs' growth and keep food fresh and safe
for longer.
o These are foods marked with a "use by" date and "keep refrigerated" on the label, such as milk, meat and
ready meals.
o Cool down leftovers as quickly as possible (ideally within two hours), store them in the fridge and eat
them within two days.
o It is safe to let food cool completely at room temperature before storing it in the fridge.
o Avoid putting open tin cans in the fridge, as the food inside may develop a metallic taste.
o Follow the manufacturer's instructions or place the contents in a storage container or covered bowl
before refrigerating.

Fridge Maintenance:
o Keep your fridge temperature at 40̊ F or below.
o If your fridge has a digital temperature display you may wish to check it against an internal fridge
thermometer now and again to make sure it's accurate.
o Clean and inspect your fridge regularly to ensure it remains hygienic and in good working order.

Used By Dates
o No food lasts forever, however well it is stored. Most pre-packed foods carry either a "use by" or a "best
before" date.
o "Use by" dates appear on foods that go off quite quickly. It can be dangerous to eat foods past this date.
o "Best before" dates are for foods with a longer life. They show how long the food will be at its best.
o Food can look and smell fine even after its "use by" date but that doesn't mean it's safe to eat. It could
still contain bugs that could make you ill.
o Eating food past its "best before" date is not dangerous, but the food may not be good quality
Where to Store Food:
o Vegetables:
o All vegetables besides potatoes should be stored in the refrigerator.
o Fruit:
o Most fruit should be kept in the refrigerator drawer.
 Berries, grapes, apples, oranges
o Some can be stored at the top of a countertop
 Bananas, melons, pears
o Meat:
o All ground meat and poultry meat should be in the refrigerator no longer than 48 hours prior to
cooking it. In order for the meat to last longer, you can freeze the meat to prepare later.
o In the refrigerator meat should be wrapped and placed on the lower shelf on a plate to catch any
juices that might drip off.
o Eggs:
o Always store in the refrigerator.
o Bread:
o Store on the countertop or freeze in the refrigerator for later.
o Dry items:
o Be sure to keep chips, cereals, pasta, or any dry food properly stored away. Be sure to pick up
crumbs to prevent bugs.

Reference for further information:

https://www.buzzfeed.com/christinebyrne/how-to-store-yourgroceries?utm_term=.bsKGxew7gK#.gnkngJEdpv

Freezing Food

o Place food in an airtight container that is designed for freezer use or wrap it tightly in freezer bags
before placing in the freezer otherwise the cold air will dry it out.

Using Leftovers
o Don't throw away leftovers: they could be tomorrow's lunch! Follow these tips to make the most of
them:
o Use refrigerated leftovers within two days.
o Always defrost leftovers completely, either in the fridge or in the microwave.
o When defrosted, food should be reheated only once, because the more times you cool and reheat
food, the higher the risk of food poisoning.
o Cooked food that has been frozen and removed from the freezer should be reheated and
eaten within 24 hours of fully defrosting.
 5. Knows how to tell when food is spoiled/old and how to use dates
on food packages

Signs of spoilage:
• Discoloration: Discoloration of food and mold often looks like a fuzzy white, green, or dark-colored
spot or spots. Meat may be discolored or graying. Mold can contain bacteria that will make you sick or
can be poisonous.
• Odor: If the food item has a foul odor, it is likely spoiled.
• Look at the expiration date. If the date on the food packaging has passed the ‘use by’ date, food is no
longer good to eat, throw it out!
• Texture: If the texture is no longer what is typical and possibly slimy. This is an indicator that the food
item is spoiled.
• Appearance: Look for soggy edges on leafy vegetables. They will begin to turn brown and develop a
slimy coating. Discard any leafy vegetables that look like this.

• Examples of spoiled food:

 Worksheet:
Circle which foods have spoiled
 Answers to Worksheet:
Circle which foods have spoiled