Accidentally Ate Unwashed Stir Fry Vegetables, Worried About Food Poisoning - Need Advice!

[KestrelMum]

Hey! I need your help and advice. Tonight, I had a mishap in the kitchen that has left me worried about potential food poisoning.

I made a stir fry using some fresh vegetables I bought from the shop. I was in a rush and didn't realise until about halfway through eating that I had forgotten to wash the vegetables before cooking them.

I used mangetout, spring onions, sugar-snap peas, and organic purple sprouting broccoli.

After the mishap, I looked online and I stumbled upon some news about people getting seriously ill, and dying from consuming unwashed lettuce ETC. This has made my worries go through the roof!

I understand that unwashed vegetables can potentially harbour harmful bacteria, and I'm concerned about the risks associated with eating them, although they were very well cooked - not firm and crunchy, more like soft.

I’m reaching out hoping to get some advice on how to mitigate the potential dangers or ease my mind.

I suffer from terrible health anxiety and fears that I'm going to die and leave my son, since becoming a mum, and although this probably seems quite minor to some, I'm extremely scared right now.

Thank you!

I never wash veg and we're fine.

You're not going to die from unwashed vegetables. You'll be absolutely fine.

I don’t think I ever wash vegetables unless they’re visibly dirty

The chances of food poisoning from vegetables is low. It happens, obviously but it’s low. Then considering you stir fried them the chances are so tiny it may as well be zero.

I’ve never washed stir fry veg it didn’t even cross my mind I had to. I’m still here and still alive I think you will be ok.

Never washed a veg in my life. You'll be ok. 💐

I rinse leeks but that’s about it. Think you will be fine.

I never wash my veg. I only wash apples actually. You cooked it very hot so you will be fine.

I have a friend who eats sugar snap peas straight from the bag daily and she has had food poisoning in all the years I have known her.

Deep breath. Honestly most people don't wash any food every.

I know it's hard if you have health anxiety but take a breath, the vast majority of people don't wash vegetables unless they are visibly dirty. The heat from cooking will kill bacteria and the majority of toxins. It is hard with anxiety of any kind not to catastrophise our thoughts, but try not to let those intrusive thoughts in. Take care x

I've never washed them ever

I worked in a food factory years ago. Salads mainly. All the vegetables are washed in very cold water and spun before it’s chopped.
HTH

Also never washed veg unless I can literally see dirt on it.

Those packs are ready washed.

Lettuce is different because you don’t cook it! Cooking kills stuff. I never wash stir fry veg - it would be a soggy mush!

I have never washed a single item of food in my entire life.
In fact if I’m feeling lazy I’ll chuck potatoes in still with dirt on them.

This is quite unlikely and Google is not your friend. It's not a good feeling to be anxious about what you eat.

OP- Do you have any support for your anxiety? Mental health team, GP, counsellor etc? If not, please book to see someone ASAP for your own and sons sake.

The only time I wash veg is if they’re going raw in a salad and they’ve grown in mud eg lettuce or celery, to rinse mud off. Or a baking potato as I will eat the skin and I don’t like muddy skin! I don’t think I’ve ever washed fruit, even during the pandemic.

I know you have health anxiety but chances are youll be fine. As you’ve stir fried the veg you’ll probably have killed any germs.

Last week I made a salad with what I assumed were ready washed leaves.
Served it up, ate 2 thirds of it…. picked up my fork & a little slug appeared happily nestled in the greens, luckily nowhere near the salt.
I wanted to puke. Haven’t fallen ill.

@DyslexicPoster did you mean your friend has never had food poisoning despite the raw sugar snap peas?

I never wash fruit or veg and it's never made me ill.

I also never ever wash any fruit or veg EXCEPT whole lettuce as it always tastes bitter, probably pesticides. Never, ever been ill from it.

I’m a never-washer too.

I also grow mange tout and sugar snaps and my kids and I pick and eat them straight off the plants in the garden. And strawberries.

sorry you feel so anxious.

The high heat of stir trying will kill any bacteria.

But yes, I along with most people, do not wash vegetables that I'm about to cook.

I'm sorry that your anxiety has made this difficult for you. But you will be fine..

People actually wash fruit or veg?....not going to read everything in case I have to start doing it myself lol.... you will be fine......