Make Your Summer Grilling Season A Safe & Healthy One With Stop & Shop

QUINCY, Mass. and PURCHASE, N.Y., May 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Ready, set, GRILL! As you prepare for the summer grilling season, Stop & Shop wants to make sure your next barbecue is a safe and healthy one by keeping food safety top of mind. 

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"At Stop & Shop we strive to make it easy for customers to shop for healthy foods so they can eat healthy," said Julie Menounos, Stop & Shop nutritionist. "Grilling season is a great time to enjoy lean protein such as chicken, turkey and fish. Flavor your olive oil or citrus-based marinades with tons of fresh herbs like basil, thyme, rosemary, oregano, and mint. Add grilled fruits and vegetables to your cold salads, skewers, and salsas, and you can make grilling not only delicious, but good for you!"

Practicing food safety at home is easy with the following tips from Stop & Shop.

• Don't put the meat on the bun until it's done by using a meat thermometer. Before removing from the grill, insert a meat thermometer halfway into the thickest part of the meat and wait about 15-20 seconds for a reading. All hamburgers made with ground beef need to be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F. Ground beef can still be pink inside and cooked to a safe 160 degrees F, so color is not always a true indicator. Ground and whole poultry should be cooked to 165 degrees F and chops, steaks and roasts from beef, veal or lamb are properly cooked at 145 degrees F for medium rare, 160 degrees F for medium and 170 degrees F for well done. The meat thermometer should read 150 degrees F for chops and roast from pork.
• If you partially cook meat in the microwave or oven to reduce grilling time, do so immediately before the food goes on the hot grill. Always use a clean plate and clean utensils as cooked foods should not be placed on a plate that previously held raw foods, including meat, poultry and seafood.
• When preparing your meats, marinate in the refrigerator, not on the counter or outdoors. If the marinade is to be used as a sauce on the cooked food, keep some in a separate container before adding the raw meat, poultry or seafood. Sauce used to marinate raw meat should never be reused.
• Remember to refrigerate any leftovers promptly after serving and within two hours after cooking. Food should only be outside one hour when the temperature is above 90 degrees F. When in doubt, throw it out.

With barbecues and events scheduled throughout the summer, it can be easy to fall into unhealthy eating patterns, but with the abundance of locally grown fruits and vegetables available this time of year it's easy to incorporate more healthy items into your grilling menus. Since the grill is already fired up, why not throw some fruits and vegetables on too! The easiest way to grill vegetables is to brush them with a little bit of olive oil to prevent them from sticking and then grill, turning until tender. Try grilling asparagus or corn on the cob by adding seasonings and a touch of butter.

Fruit is also a great option, as the naturally occurring sugar caramelizes when combined with the heat of the grill, making the fruit even sweeter. Almost any fruit can be cooked on the grill, but softer fruits such as peaches and plums require more attention to prevent overcooking. Try seasoning apples or pears with cinnamon before throwing on the grill and serve with low-fat whipped topping or vanilla frozen yogurt for a twist on dessert.

Summer is a prime time for locally grown produce which customers can purchase at Stop & Shop while purchasing a variety of fresh meat and seafood items for grilling. Stop & Shop strives to consistently provide its customers with the freshest, tastiest food available throughout the summer and all year round, which is why it has a Double Your Money Back Guarantee in place. If a customer is not completely satisfied with his/her purchase from Stop & Shop's meat, seafood, deli, produce, bakery, floral or dairy departments, they can receive a refund for double the price of the item, excluding items prohibited by law. The product can be returned with or without a receipt, but a receipt is preferred. Without a receipt, customers are refunded through a gift card based on the current price of the product.

For more information on food safety and healthy ideas for your next meal, please visit www.stopandshop.com.

About Stop & Shop

The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company LLC employs approximately 62,000 associates and operates more than 400 stores throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, New York, and New Jersey. The company helps support local communities fight hunger, combat childhood cancer and promote general health and wellness – with emphasis on children's educational and support programs. In its commitment to be a sustainable company, Stop & Shop is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council and EPA's Smart Way program; has been awarded LEED (EB) certifications for 50 of its existing stores; and has been recognized by the EPA for the superior energy management of its stores. Stop & Shop is an Ahold company. To learn more about Stop & Shop, visit www.stopandshop.com.

SOURCE Stop & Shop