One semester of food service program leads to a career in long-term care

Many programs take years to complete, some with no practical experience. One program is changing the way schools work, with one semester consisting of five major components and a 16-week field placement in a healthcare facility. It is the Food Service Worker (1620) program from Centennial College, which provides a high food service degree on nutrition, food quality, and cleanliness.

Under the School of Community and Health Studies, students train based on the food preparation guidelines from the Dietitians of Canada and the Ontario Society of Nutrition Management.The curriculum itself was developed alongside the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. The series of courses prepare students to enter the workplace with the skills and ethics of a professional:

Students can appreciate the role of a Food Service Worker by exploring the operations and management of the profession, including quality management, risk management, ethical issues, and laws and regulations.
Workers come into close contact with clients and have to coordinate meal plans and other services with colleagues. Communication and customer service are key to this role and a course has been created to focus on these skills as they are managed in the food service and healthcare sectors.
Another close encounter workers will have is with diseases, so health and safety is a big issue in the workplace. Safety and sanitation is declared an essential skill, which every student is required to understand proper food handling procedures and safe work habits to prevent food contamination and food borne illnesses.
Especially in healthcare, nutrition is vital to menu planning. Students will learn basic food preparation using based on Canada’s Food guide, but will also learn how to accommodate clients with strict diets. Nutrition for therapeutic and texture modificationwill also be explored.
Students will practice their food preparation skills with four hours of kitchen lab sessions per week. They will learn how to handle and maintain kitchen equipment, and how to implement menu planning on a large scale.

Open for enrollment twice a year, students attend the Morningside campus alongside other healthcare students, where they can connect with their peers and gain industry connections early on in their careers. Although this full-time program is offered within 15 weeks, students have the option to enroll through the School of Continuing Education for part-time, distance learning, accelerated, and fast-track program options.

-You will be able to apply at long-term care facilities, working within the dietary department, as well as acute care, which (includes) any hospitals or any community services that have healthcare components in the food service industry,- says Professor Karen Barnes.

Centennial graduates are living healthy careers in long-term care facilities, retirement homes, and hospitals. The Food Service Worker program equips students with the knowledge of kitchen tools and the care for nutrition and safety of food preparation sought out by many healthcare organizations. Graduates receive the Ontario College Certificate as well as a food handler’s certification called the TrainCanBasics.fst Food Safety Certificate. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE

Benefits Of Availing Food Samples

Many families across the world run on tight budgets to support their families. With price rocketing, many cannot afford all the products that are advertised. However many food manufacturers offer food samples for customers to select. To get access to free food samples customers should have a good internet connection and knowledge of computer operation to benefit from getting free food samples and increasing the bank balance. Your mailbox and inbox are great sources to receive information about various food samples offered by manufacture for customer to benefit. The plus point of receiving free food samples instead of spending your hard earned on food is you can get those items absolutely free.

To advertise their products many leading food manufacturers ranging spice to cookies offer freebies that will help you to taste and relish the products. Many ready to eat food products are also available under the free food samples which are beneficial for working moms. One of the best ways to enjoy free food samples is by signing up online at various places like restaurants where free food and desserts are offered on special occasions like birthdays and anniversary. This is a great way to sample some wonderful food on special occasions with your near and dear ones and also cost effective.

As registering for free food samples is a great budget saver, many companies lure customer to sample their products. This is two way benefits for both the customer and the manufacturer. The manufacturer is able to advertise his food product for a large population and many are able to taste the product. Customers in the process are able to taste new products introduced in the market for free. It is not only budget friendly the customer is able to access free food samples otherwise they might stay away because of expenses.

With great search engines available on the net you can click on sites which offer free food samples. There are many sites which offer food samples for free and some of them are popular budget savers. With internet access you need not go every time to your local grocery shop or supermarket to look out for free food samples. The local markets may offer limited benefits however internet which can be accessed by millions. Many food companies are able to provide food samples for people to taste and savor. To attract customers and try samples many manufacturers give away free coupons to attract more customers. These coupons can be availed online with just a click and you can avail free coupons on coffee, drinks, chocolate bars and much more.

Five Tips To Avoid Fast Food

Fast food is rapidly becoming the bane of modern life, especially in the bustling urban areas. Constant nagging from parents, friends and colleagues and various media highlighting the adverse effects of fast food seem to be having the opposite effect. Consumption of fast food is on the rise and the worst affected is the youth. This harmful but enjoyable habit is the source of most of the lifestyle diseases suffered by the youth of today.

Then, is there no way that we can overcome the craving for fast food? Most people know that fast food is harmful but they eat it anyway, as it is convenient and fast. Therefore, the only way seems to be creating awareness amongst people by advocating ways to avoid this habit and go instead for healthy food, which does not involve too much effort. The simple tips detailed here could help you in getting rid of the delicious but unhealthy habit of eating fast food.

1.Make the effort. The first step you have to take is to make the decision that you want to stop eating fast food. Without making a firm decision, you will not be able to put in the required effort. Once you have made the decision, set a target date, when you will totally stop eating fast food.

2.Curb your hunger. People are initially drawn towards fast food by hunger. A hurried snack in between your busy schedule helps you to whet your hunger. To avoid this, your main meals, especially your breakfast should be substantial, so that you dont get hungry before lunchtime. Also, make sure to eat right before you go out.

3.Eat more often. The best way to keep you from getting hungry is to eat more often. This could lead you to eat fast food; to avoid that you have to carry snacks like fruits or baked food.

4.Eat proper food. A properly balanced diet goes a long way in keeping your tummy satisfied and diverting your attention away from the fries. A diet consisting of the complex carbohydrates will keep your stomach full for a long time. These foods consist of a lot of fiber. Our digestive system takes a long time to digest these fibers and hence we dont crave for food very often. Leafy green vegetables like cabbages and spinach, oatmeal, muesli and barley are some of the foods rich in complex carbohydrates together with the other nutrients like proteins and vitamins.

5.Stir up healthy meals. Learn to make fast and easy meals using healthy foods. Oatmeal combined with scrambled eggs could make a delicious meal in just about 3 minutes. Then again you could adopt the Chinese method of cooking rice and vegetables with a piece of chicken thrown. This is a very nutritious and delicious dish, which takes very little time for preparation.

Say no to fast food right away. Make the decision and take firm steps that will help you to lead a long and healthy life without visiting your doctor too frequently.

Benefits Of Having A Food Processor In Your Kitchen

Food processors started to make their appearance way back in the early sixties. Since then this product has steadily grown in popularity up to a point where the food processor has become an essential component for many modern cooking methods. Chefs have created countless delicious recipes through the use of this appliance. The food processor is a kitchen aid that no cook can do without.

A necessity in every kitchen

Considering how much time and labor is spent when using the traditional methods of chopping, grating and kneading, it has become very difficult indeed for the modern parent to prepare a decent home cooked meal. As most parents opt for having careers rather than staying at home, cooking time has become very limited. The repetitive action of chopping, shredding, pureeing or slicing is enough to make any working person disgruntled and run off to the nearest fast food outlet.

The food processor has virtually eliminated all the labor involved and has cut down on the preparation time. Modern chefs make extensive use of food processors. The appliance has become such a necessity that it can no longer be seen as a showpiece item that will only be used occasionally.

Virtually every single food program on television will show the chef armed with a chefs knife and a food processor. This has increased the usage of the appliance even more as most of these dishes are designed for the home cook. The creation of wholesome, nutritious and delectable dishes have become a breeze and done in no time at all. This is precisely what the home cook requires and is difficult to achieve without the use of a food processor.

How does it work?

A food processor is an electrical appliance that is made up of a mixing bowl and a range of blades and disks. The mixing bowl would ideally be able to hold 9 cups as the processing of liquids just about cuts the capacity in half. The feeding tube on the lid should wide enough for larger pieces of food. The processors are fitted with a safety feature and will only start processing once the lid and bowl is locked and sealed.

These safety features are a requirement and apply to all makes of food processors. Some of these appliances are fitted with suction pads at the base to prevent the machine from moving around during processing. There are basically two types of blades that come with the processor. The essential ones are the s-shaped stainless steel blade and the plastic blade. The stainless steel blade can be fitted at the bottom of the bowl to allow for easy chopping, shredding, mixing or blending of vegetables and meat. The plastic blade is mainly for mixing bread and pizza dough. The two disks that usually come with a food processor are designed for slicing and grating purposes.

The slicing disk has various thickness settings. Disks used for grating purposes also come in different sizes. The processor is usually fitted with more than one speed option. The pulse controls come in very handy when making bread or pizza dough, as it will help to create a perfect texture and not over mix it. A citrus press for juicing oranges, limes or grapefruit and an egg whip that can be used for baking purposes are other essential attachments. Some food processors have extra or optional features and attachments that could be useful for certain people depending on what their requirements are.

A mini processor that can be used for grinding spices like cardamom and cinnamon stick is quite a nifty attachment. It can also be used for chopping smaller quantities of vegetables, fruit or herbs. Appliances fitted with touch pad controls prevent any liquids from entering the panel and can therefore be easily cleaned. Another handy option is the chute that leads to another bowl. Large amounts of food can be processed without stopping as it simply enters into another bowl when the main one starts filling up.

Be selective when purchasing a processor

These options are useful but not always necessary as it can affect the price when purchasing a food processor. Investing in a good quality food processor can become a costly affair, but a food processor can save time and help to create healthy and delicious dishes in no time. If you do have a family and prefer home cooked meals then a food processor will be a worthwhile investment.

If you do not have a family to entertain on a regular basis, then you will be able to prepare gourmet dishes at a fraction of the cost with a good food processor. The range is wide and varied and will certainly meet all requirements for the ardent home cook.

The Stunning Effects Of Blessing Your Food

Grandma was right. Bless your food.

It’s a rare thing these days to hear someone blessing their food. Other than Thanksgivingand quaint Norman Rockwell paintingsour food goes unblessed. Happily consumed, largely unappreciated.

There is real magic in the blessing of food – or anything else. This is not airy-fairy New Age stuff. Nor is based on any religious tradition. In fact, science is proving that the thoughts we think about something dramatically alter its physical structure.

Japanese researcher Masaru Emoto has been doing amazing work recording the effects of energy on water. He photographed the crystal structure of water before and after being labeled with words relating to various aspects of life.

Water samples exposed to hateful words like “I hate you” or “you make me sick” took on random, unattractive appearances. Water that was exposed to words like “love”, “thank you”, or “peace” changed to beautiful, crystalline structures much like elaborate snowflakes.

You will find photos of Mr. Emoto’s water samples at http://www.hado.net/water_crystals2.html. See for yourself what water samples looked like after they were blessed with various thoughts.

What Mr. Emoto photographed is how water reacts to thought. Water makes up 70% of the planet – including our bodies and the food we eat. If thought can affect water so much, imagine what it can do in our lives.

Try an experimentwrite “thank you” on a slip of paper and tape it to the bottom of an opaque coffee mug. Tape a blank piece of paper to the bottom of a matching mug. Fill both mugs with identical amounts of tap water. Mix the mugs up so you so you don’t know which one is which.

Now do a taste test and see what you notice about the taste of the water. Most people taste a difference in the water sample that was labeled “thank you”. No wonder cultivating an attitude of gratitude can create such huge changes in a person’s life.

Each time you sit down to eattake a moment to bless your food. You don’t have to do it out loud if that would make you feel self-conscious. Just bless it in your own heart and soul.

Food has life and energy. It’s not just a thing. It’s still alive. If you look at food from the perspective of quantum physics, it’s quite dynamic. In fact, it’s mostly energy and empty space. Like everything, food exists in relationship to the thoughts and the world around it.

Pay attention to the food that is about to become you. Be aware of what you are putting into your mouth. Eat with the care and awareness of what you want to become. That food is literally going to be YOUR body.