Practice Safe, Healthy Grilling

Firing up the grill this weekend is a good way to celebrate the holiday. But keep food safety in mind to ensure a fun and healthy weekend.

Outdoor grilling is a real warm-weather treat. While getting ready to grill this weekend, keep yourself and your family safe by following these guidelines:

• Keep raw meat, fish and poultry in the refrigerator until you're ready to place it on the grill.

• Clean the grill with a wire brush before and after cooking meat, fish or poultry.

• Marinate meats in one batch of marinade and use another to baste the meat as it cooks.

• Always put cooked meat on a clean plate, not the one you used to bring the meat to the grill.

• Store any leftovers that contain meat, fish, poultry, milk, eggs or cheese within one to one-and-a-half hours.

Packing for a picnic? Remember to keep all raw foods separate from cooked. Similarly, use separate utensils for cooked and uncooked items.

Enjoy that first barbecue of the season!