Do You Microwave Safely?

Think about how often you use your microwave. With four children in our house, ours is getting its money's worth. But are you microwaving safely? Could you or your family be getting sick from foods that are not cooked properly in the microwave? It's more common than you think and many people just don't realize the dangers that can come from not using the microwave properly.

One of the biggest reasons for this is the rush to eat. We live in such a now-now-now society that we can't wait the extra seconds or minutes to get our food. This is why microwaves are so popular in the first place.

Here are some tips:

· Only microwave in safe, approved containers

· Increasing the heat does not compensate for time-cooked

· Once something has been reheated in the microwave, you shouldn't refrigerate and reheat again later

· Don't heat up a large portion if you're only going to eat part of it- take out what you want only

· Stir, rotate and flip frozen meals to make sure no cool spots are left in the food before eating

· It's better to overcook than to undercook

· Use a food thermometer to check meats, poultry, eggs and fish that are cooked in the microwave

· Remember the "standing time" written on your frozen meals- foods are still cooking during this period

Unless you enjoy your meals with a side of salmonella, keep these microwave safety tips in mind the next time you go to nuke your meals. Also keep in mind that people with weakened immune systems will be at a higher risk for the dangers of poorly cooked food.

Lisa Mason is a freelance writer with a specialty in Internet content and SEO articles and the author of How to Earn a Living Writing for the Internet as well as two poetry anthologies and a how-to poetry book. She has written thousands of articles, hundreds of ebooks and thousands of website pages and related content.

Professional wordsmith for hire: gamer, wife, mother, entrepreneur, published poet, co-owner of game guides company, public speaker and Internet business consultant. You can learn more or follow Lisa's blog from her website