While some foods are convenient to grab from the refrigerator and eat right away, others require careful preparation to ensure safety. From undercooked meat to raw vegetables, here are 18 foods that can be hazardous if not prepared correctly.
Raw or Undercooked Eggs
Raw eggs can contain Salmonella bacteria, which can cause food poisoning. This is especially important when consuming foods with raw or undercooked eggs, like homemade mayonnaise, hollandaise sauce, or certain desserts.
Raw Sprouts
While lots of vegetables are safe to eat raw, sprouts can be contaminated with harmful bacteria like E. coli and Salmonella because of the warm, moist conditions as they grow. For this reason, you should always cook your sprouts before eating, which will only take a few minutes.
Raw Seafood
The CDC estimated that 48 million Americans suffer from food poisoning each year. Raw or undercooked seafood is one of the main causes of food poisoning as it can harbor parasites and bacteria that can cause foodborne illnesses. Consuming contaminated seafood, you might experience symptoms like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, fever, and chills. These symptoms can occur within hours or even days of eating contaminated food.
Unpasteurized Milk and Soft Cheeses
Unpasteurized milk and soft cheeses from unpasteurized milk can contain harmful bacteria like Listeria, Salmonella, and E. coli. These bacteria can be especially dangerous for pregnant women, young children, and people with weakened immune systems.
Raw or Undercooked Beans and Lentils
Raw or undercooked beans and lentils can contain lectins, a protein that can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Soaking and cooking beans and lentils properly can help reduce lectin content.
Raw or Undercooked Meat
Raw or undercooked meat, particularly poultry and pork, can harbor harmful bacteria like E. coli, Salmonella, and Campylobacter. These bacteria can cause food poisoning symptoms like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and cramps. Investing in a meat thermometer will ensure your meat is cooked to the correct temperature.
Mushrooms
There are many varieties of wild mushrooms, and some can be poisonous if mistaken for edible types. It’s important to only consume mushrooms identified by a qualified expert.
Grainy Vegetables
Improperly washed vegetables can harbor dirt and parasites, especially leafy greens and vegetables with rough surfaces. You should remove the outer leaves of cabbages, scrub the dirt off root vegetables, and thoroughly rinse before you cook.
Rice
Uncooked rice can harbor spores of a bacterium called Bacillus cereus. These spores are heat-resistant and can survive even when the rice is cooked. Properly reheating leftover rice is also important, as the danger zone refers to temperatures between 40°F (4°C) and 140°F (60°C), where bacteria can multiply rapidly.
Improperly Reheated Food
Reheating food improperly can allow bacteria to multiply. It’s important to reheat food to an internal temperature that destroys bacteria, which usually is 165°F for most foods.
Raw Honey
Raw honey can contain spores of a bacterium called Clostridium botulinum. These rare spores can be particularly dangerous for infants under one year old, so you shouldn’t give them food prepared with honey.
Stinging Nettles
Stinging nettles are a nutritious and tasty wild plant, but they must be prepared properly. Despite their name, stinging nettles are actually a nutritious and delicious wild edible plant. Cooking or blanching the nettles deactivates these proteins and neutralizes the stinging properties.
Pufferfish
Pufferfish, also known as fugu in Japan, is a delicacy, but it is also one of the most dangerous vertebrates in the world. The fish contains a potent neurotoxin called tetrodotoxin. Only specially licensed chefs are qualified to prepare pufferfish, and they undergo years of rigorous training to learn how to dissect and prepare the fish safely.
Potatoes
Raw potatoes contain solanine and chaconine, which are naturally occurring glycoalkaloids. These can be toxic in high doses, causing symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, and headaches. Peeling and consuming a small amount of raw potato is unlikely to cause harm. However, avoiding raw potatoes altogether is generally best to minimize potential risks.
Blood Clams
Blood clams live in lower oxygen environments compared to other clam varieties. These conditions can harbor higher levels of harmful bacteria and viruses, such as hepatitis A, typhoid, and dysentery. Choose live or very fresh blood clams whenever possible. Avoid clams with open shells or unpleasant odors.
Rhubarb
Rhubarb leaves contain high levels of oxalic acid, so the stalks are the only edible part of the rhubarb plant. The stalks contain lower levels of oxalic acid than the leaves and can be safely consumed reasonably when cooked.
Elderberries
Raw elderberries contain small amounts of two toxic compounds: lectins and sambunigrin. The good news is that both lectins and sambunigrin are destroyed by heat. Cooking elderberries neutralizes these toxins, making them safe for consumption.
Nutmeg
Nutmeg contains a compound called myristicin, which can cause hallucinogenic effects in high doses. This is unlikely to happen with the small amounts typically used for seasoning food, but you should not consume too much.
15 Nostalgic Dinners from the Past That Are Rarely Seen Today
The scent of a family meal cooking can bring back memories, especially if it’s a childhood favorite we don’t often have as adults. This article showcases 18 classic dinners that provided convenience and budget-friendliness for parents and are worthy of a revival. These traditional dinners from the past trigger nostalgic memories and are worth rediscovering.
15 Nostalgic Dinners from the Past That Are Rarely Seen Today
18 Foods You Should Eat Every Day
There are many foods, such as leafy greens, berries, and whole grains, which are full of things like vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that help your body function at its best. Experts recommend you should eat these 18 foods every day to live a healthier life.
Read: 18 Foods You Should Eat Every Day
15 Foods You Shouldn’t Eat After 50
Age is just a number, but not regarding eating habits. The older you grow, the more your body needs nutritious food to stay fit and healthy. While there are many things you’re encouraged to eat, when you cross 50, your go-to foods can’t look the same as they once were. Your body is changing, and so should your eating habits.
