Cooking Do’s And Don’ts For Your Holiday Feast

How to keep everyone at your table healthy
Ham, turkey, duck, beef, and pork roasts are all a beloved part of many holiday meals. But because a lot of us only cook these once or twice a year, we run a higher risk of preparation and cooking goof-ups that can compromise taste at best—and at worst make people sick. Don’t want your guests to join the one in six people who get food poisoning each year in the U.S.? Use this guide to selecting, storing, cooking, and serving those holiday staples.

Choose the right meat

If you’re picking up a roast from a stand-alone re­frigerator case at the supermarket, don’t take the package on top, especially if it’s above the edges of the case, Francis Largeman-Roth, R.D., a dietitian in New York City, says. “Those cases only keep things truly cold as far as the walls of the case go up,” she said.
Look for cuts of meat that are lean, defined as less than 10 grams of total fat, no more than 4.5 grams of saturated fat, and fewer than 95 milligrams of cholesterol per serving. The label can provide clues. For example, cuts that include the word “round” are the lowest in fat, with “loin” a close second, says Heather Mangieri, R.D., a dietitian in Pittsburgh and a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Turkey or duck breasts are leaner than a whole bird.
And read the ingredients list on poultry items. Turkeys are sometimes in­jected with a solution of saltwater and other additives to enhance juiciness. That can add a lot of sodium, so it’s better to look for a turkey that contains nothing but, well, turkey.

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