When you are planning the perfect Valentine’s Day for someone special in your life, you certainly do not want those plans to include a trip to the emergency room.
This means you need to take careful steps so that you will not accidentally poison them, whether you take them out to eat or eat at home. Remember those bacteria are not romantics. They do not care if it is a day of love, and they can make your date sick on Valentine’s Day just as with any other day of the year. Here are some tips on how to not poison your date on V-Day.
Choosing the Right Restaurant
You would assume restaurants are safe, but that is not always true. Remember that humans make human errors, and that could mean food poisoning when you take your date out to eat. There are certain things to look for when choosing the right restaurant:
- Do your research. Take the time to see what others have said online about the restaurant you are considering. You may get a clue as to how sanitary and safe the eating establishment is.
- Look for health department scores. Each restaurant receives a grade based on how safely they use their foods and prepare them. Make sure to always look at the grades and avoid any restaurants that have low scores.
- Think carefully about the restaurant when you walk in. Dirty utensils, tablecloths, and bathrooms can be a big indicator. Think about this: if a restaurant is willing to be that dirty in front of the customers, just imagine what may be going on behind the closed kitchen doors.
- Do not eat lukewarm foods. It may be your first thought that the restaurant is busy and the food just sat for a few moments, but it is actually dangerous. When foods are in the temperature danger zone, bacteria can grow in them, and if enough of these harmfull bacteria are consumed your date will become sick.
Choosing a restaurant should be something you think about very carefully. You want to give your date kisses and roses, not vomiting and stomach cramps!
Be Careful of Meats
Meat and animal products are the number one cause of food poisoning. You need to be very careful of meats on Valentine’s Day. Some of the things to keep in mind include the following:
- Do not choose rare steaks or other beef products. While you may like your steak still mooing, this can be a recipe for food poisoning. Make sure the meats you and your date eat are cooked thoroughly. If you or your date likes "rare" meat, try moving up to "medium" just for the day.
- Think twice before ordering those runny eggs. If you or your date will be eating anything with eggs, they should be cooked thoroughly as well. Raw and runny eggs can contain salmonella.
- Watch out for foods that have hidden animal products, like salad dressing. These products can include anchovies and raw eggs.
- Watch out for the sushi. If sushi is prepared properly, it is completely safe. On the other hand, one mistake in preparation and you can expect a trip to the bathroom or possibly the emergency room. Unless you absolutely know the restaurant is preparing sushi properly, it would be best to avoid this item on the menu for Valentine’s Day.
Let’s face the truth, you want your Valentine’s date to end up in the bedroom, not with someone lying on an uncomfortable hospital bed. Be sure to consider the information above so that you can make sure you do not accidentally poison your special someone.