- With Mayo Clinic nutritionists
Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
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Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
Katherine Zeratsky and Jennifer Nelson
Jennifer K. Nelson, M.S., R.D., L.D., C.N.S.D.
Jennifer Nelson is your link to a better diet. As specialty editor of the nutrition and healthy eating guide, she plays a vital role in bringing you healthy recipes and meal planning."Nutrition is one way people have direct control over the quality of their lives," she says. "I hope to translate the science of nutrition into ways that people can select and prepare great-tasting foods that help maintain health and treat disease."
A St. Paul, Minn., native, she has been with Mayo Clinic since 1978, and is director of clinical dietetics and an associate professor of nutrition at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.
She leads clinical nutrition efforts for a staff of more than 60 clinical dietitians and nine dietetic technicians and oversees nutrition services, staffing, strategic and financial planning, and quality improvement. Nelson was co-editor of the "Mayo Clinic Diet" and the James Beard Foundation Award-winning "The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook." She has been a contributing author to and reviewer of many other Mayo Clinic books, including "Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight for EveryBody," "The Mayo Clinic Family Health Book" and "The Mayo Clinic/Williams Sonoma Cookbook." She contributes to the strategic direction of the Food & Nutrition Center, which includes creating recipes and menus, reviewing nutrition content of various articles, and providing expert answers to nutrition questions.
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
As a specialty editor of the nutrition and healthy eating guide, Katherine Zeratsky helps you sort through the facts and figures, the fads and the hype to learn more about nutrition and diet.A Marinette, Wis., native, she is certified in dietetics by the state of Minnesota and the American Dietetic Association. She has been with Mayo Clinic since 1999.
She's active in nutrition-related curriculum and course development in wellness nutrition at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and nutrition related to weight management and practical applications of nutrition-related lifestyle changes.
Other areas of interest include food and nutrition for all life stages, active lifestyles and the culinary arts.
She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, served a dietetic internship at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and worked as a registered dietitian and health risk counselor at ThedaCare of Appleton, Wis., before joining the Mayo Clinic staff.
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Nutrition-wise blog
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July 2, 2011
Remember 3 numbers for safely cooking meat
By Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
No matter the season, food safety should always be on the menu. And that means using a thermometer to judge when meat and poultry are fully cooked. But remembering the appropriate meat cooking temperature can be challenging. Well, that just got a bit easier.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently revised the recommended internal cooking temperatures for all whole cuts of meat. Now you just have to remember three numbers:
- 145 F for whole cuts, such as ribs, roasts, chops and steaks, of beef, pork, lamb and fish
- 160 F for ground versions of the above
- 165 F for all poultry
Be sure to cook foods to these recommended temperatures. Check the temperature by putting the thermometer into the thickest part of the meat. Don't rely on looks. Appearance is not a safe indicator of doneness.
When a whole cut of meat reaches the right temperature, remove it from the heat but continue to watch the thermometer to ensure it's at or above the minimum temperature for at least 3 minutes. The temperature may continue to rise — this is normal.
Leave the thermometer in the meat until you see the temperature start to cool. This will preserve some of the moisture in the meat while still allowing enough time to kill or reduce the bacteria always present on meat.
You might wonder if higher temperatures are better, but that's not necessarily the case. By using the temperatures above, you can be safe and still keep food moist and juicy.
To your health,
Katherine
3 comments posted
- USDA revises recommended cooking temperature for all whole cuts of meat, including pork, to 145 F U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/NR_052411_01/index.asp. Accessed June 29, 2011.
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