Nutrition News by Charlyn Fargo

A recent USA Today survey found that the food safety at 800 restaurants at 10 airports across the country is downright scary. The inspection record review found tuna salad and turkey sandwiches stored at warm temperatures, rat droppings and kitchens without soap for workers to wash their hands. It's easy to point the finger at restaurants and say workers should be more careful. It's also a good time to evaluate our home kitchens. Here are some tips for keeping the food you prepare at home safe this holiday season:

— Don't cross-contaminate: Prepare raw meat and poultry in separate areas from produce or cooked and ready-to-eat foods. Don't use the same spoon to stir the pie filling and make another dish. Once you have used a towel to wipe up a spill, don't reuse it for any other purpose. Wash your hands between tasks.

— Store and thaw food the right way. Use a fresh turkey within two days of purchase. Use beef and pork within three to five days of purchase. Adhere to ''use-by'' dates on fully cooked hams. Thaw frozen meat in the refrigerator.

— Check temperatures. Cook a whole turkey, game birds and stuffing to 165 degrees; cook pork to 160 degrees; cook lamb to 145 degrees. Heat fully cooked hams to 140 degrees. Heat all hot foods at temperatures above 140 degrees, and all cold foods at temperatures below 41 degrees.

When serving food, follow these procedures: Use clean and sanitized utensils for serving, store utensils properly and don't use bare hands on ready-to-eat foods (use gloves). — Nutrition Care Systems

Q AND A

Q: Do active video games, such as Wii, count toward recommended amounts of physical activity?

A: Playing video games that involve movement and increase a player's heart rate and breathing noticeably would be considered moderate physical activity. Moderate physical activity feels like you are exerting yourself 5 or 6 on a scale of 0 to 10. Another sign of moderate-intensity activity is that you can talk but not sing. Researchers are just beginning to objectively study the impact of active video games on overall level of physical activity and fitness, mostly among children and teens. Results are mixed, but a few studies suggest that games, such as Wii boxing and Dance Dance Revolution played at skill level 2, do involve moderate activity. Others, such as Wii bowling and golf and Dance Dance Revolution, played at the lowest skill level involve lower levels of activity, though clearly a step up from the more sedentary activity of watching television.

Actually, the intensity of activity considered moderate for any individual depends on his or her level of fitness.

So, for some people whose sedentary lifestyle, illness or excess weight has led to a low level of fitness, even the less demanding video games involving whole body movement may actually be moderate activity. Recommendations for lower cancer risk and better overall health advise us all to accumulate 30 minutes of moderate physical activity daily; those who seek weight loss will get better results by working up to 60 minutes a day.

Tune into your body signals to determine if what you play would be considered moderate activity, or if it is simply decreasing sedentary time (a separate but also worthy goal). — American Institute for Cancer Research

RECIPE

The word ''bisque'' typically logs in way too many fat grams for most of us to indulge without guilt, but this version of Crab Bisque, from Cooking Light's December 2009 issue, is virtually guilt-free at 6.7 grams per cup.

Crab Bisque

1 1/4 cups thinly sliced shallots (about 4 large)

1 celery stalk, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons vermouth

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat, shell pieces removed and divided

3 cups fat-free milk

1 cup clam juice

1.5 ounces (1/3 cup) all-purpose flour

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add shallots and celery to pan; cook 10 minutes or until softened, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; cook 1 minute. Stir in vermouth; cook 1 minute or until liquid evaporates. Add salt, peppers and 8 ounces crabmeat. Combine milk and clam juice in a large bowl. Measure flour and whisk into milk mixture; add to pan.

Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook 1 minute or until slightly thickened, stirring constantly. Place half of milk mixture in blender. Remove center piece of blender lid to allow steam to escape. Place a clean towel over opening to avoid splatters. Blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Repeat with remaining milk mixture. Return pureed mixture to pan.

Stir in cream; cook over medium heat for 3 minutes. Combine the remaining 8 ounces crabmeat, chives and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Top soup with the crabmeat mixture. Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup soup and 1/4 cup crabmeat mixture.

Per serving: 188 calories, 16.3 g protein, 14.1 g carbohydrate, 6.7 g fat, 80 mg cholesterol, .5 g fiber, 453 mg sodium.

Charlyn Fargo is a registered dietitian from Springfield, Ill. For comments or questions, contact her at charfarg@aol.com. To find out more about Charlyn Fargo and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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