If you’ve just finished breakfast or lunch, or if you’re feeling a bit squeamish, you may want to skip reading this column, at least for awhile. I’ve just had some of my suspicions confirmed, and it’s not pleasant.

I’ve long had a love-hate relationship with grocery carts.

When I’m in a hurry, my cart will inevitably be the one with a bad wheel. You know the kind I’m talking about; either one wheel sticks every few feet, making it virtually impossible to turn the thing without major force, or one or more wheels wobble so badly it’ll drive you nuts before you can get through the checkout line. Back out the door I go, to grab a different and hopefully compliant cart, losing time and patience in the process.

That, however, is a minor annoyance. Of somewhat more concern is what my grocery cart may be harboring that I can’t see.

For some time now, I’ve found myself abstractedly wondering, as I’m grasping the cart handle and pushing my way into the store, just who might have used and/or sat in the “child” seat of that cart.

No, I’m not a germophobe; just realistic and not interested in spending a week to 10 days fighting a bug I may pick up while doing my grocery shopping. Over decades of traveling the aisles of supermarkets, I’ve seen so many small children drooling, nibbling, sneezing and yes, even spitting up on and in grocery carts, that I just can’t help but think those carts might be guilty of spreading contagious maladies.

Not so long ago, dispensers of disinfectant wipes began appearing in most supermarkets, usually just inside the entrance.

“Ah,” I thought to myself, “perhaps I’m not the only one who’s leery of catching something from my grocery cart; store managers must be considering the possibilities, too.”

I’d been carrying my own wipes for a long time, pulling one out and swabbing off the cart handle before I began my shopping. Now I grab one or two after

I enter, silently thanking the store as I do, and clean both cart handle and my hands. And I’m surprised, by the way, at how many people I see entering the store and paying no attention to the disinfectant wipes.

Well, yesterday I read an article that churned my stomach, but as I said, confirmed my suspicions. I quote:

“Researchers say they actually found more fecal bacteria on grocery cart handles than you would typically find in a bathroom, mainly because bathrooms are disinfected more often than shopping carts. Since most stores do not routinely wash and disinfect their carts, it’s up to you to do it.”

The article went on to note that 72 percent of tested carts (in four different states) came up with fecal bacteria, and 50 percent tested positive for E. coli. Frankly, up until I read that article, I’d mainly been concerned about picking up cold or flu germs possibly left behind by a previous user of the cart; the idea of fecal bacteria or E. coli hadn’t entered my mind. Unfortunately, it will now. Fecal bacteria? In a grocery cart? I don’t even want to think about how or why.

This same group of researchers also had some comments, in the final paragraph of the article

I was reading, regarding our reusable shopping bags. The exact words they used were “bacterial swamp.”

Makes me wonder what I’m carrying home with me that’s not on my shopping list.

RECIPES

After all is said and done about the health hazards of shopping carts, it’s what we put in that cart to take home and eat that really has an impact on our overall health.

The more it’s loaded with fresh fruits and vegetables, the better off we’ll be, and we don’t need researchers to tell us that. Remember that bunch of carrots you put in your cart last week, now lying in the bottom of your vegetable drawer? Orange vegetables top the health-food list, so turn those boring, often ignored carrots into a bowl of delicious good health.

CARROT-ORZO SOUP

1 T. butter

1-2 t. ground cumin

(I really like cumin so I use the max.)

1 t. ground turmeric (a spice high on the good-for-you list, and it gives soup such a great color)

¼ t. ground cinnamon

1/3 cup chopped leek

1½ lbs. carrots, peeled and cut into chunks (about 1 to 1½-inch)

3½ – 4 cups (or 2 cans) chicken broth

2 cups coarsely chopped green cabbage

¼ cup uncooked orzo

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, melt the butter over med. heat. Add cumin, turmeric and cinnamon; cook, stirring, for 1 min. Add leek, cook for 2 min., stirring to coat with spices. Add the carrots and chicken broth; bring to boiling, reduce, cover and simmer for 20 min.

Add cabbage and orzo. Return to boiling, reduce heat, cover and simmer

8 to 10 min. more, or until orzo and carrots are tender. Season to taste and serve in warmed bowls. A small dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt on top is a very tasty addition. Serves 4-6.

Carrots are boring, right? Wrong; try this salad.

SPICED CARROT SALAD

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

3 T. chopped fresh parsley (or cilantro, if preferred)

2 T. olive oil

2 t. honey

¼ t. ground cumin

¼ t. ground cinnamon

¼ t. ground turmeric

¼ t. paprika

Zest of 1 lemon, minced

Salt, to taste

Red pepper flakes, to taste

2 cups shredded fresh carrots (peeled)

½ cups pitted chopped dates

¼ cup scallions, thinly sliced

¼ cup chopped pistachios (or other nut of choice)

In a bowl, combine lemon juice, parsley, oil, honey, spices, lemon zest, salt and pepper flakes. Add remaining ingredients, except nuts, tossing to coat. Sprinkle salad with the nuts before serving. Note: Soak carrots in ice water for 20 min. before shredding to keep them crisper.

And finally, a nutritious whole wheat carrot muffin, but you won’t even be thinking about its nutritional value when you bite into one of these. Eat them plain or with a bit of mascarpone cheese spread on while warm; makes my mouth water typing it.

CARROT MUFFINS

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

3 cups whole wheat flour

2 1/2 t. baking powder

1 1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

2 t. cinnamon

1 t. nutmeg

1 cup vegetable oil

1 can (10 oz.) crushed pineapple

2 1/2 cups peeled shredded carrots

1 cup pitted chopped dates (or substitute dark raisins, if preferred)

Cream together eggs and sugar. Set aside.

Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Alternately add dry ingredients and vegetable oil to the egg sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Add pineapple, carrot and chopped dates or raisins, mixing well.

Spoon batter into lightly greased muffin tins and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 30 min., or until top springs back when lightly tapped. Allow to cool in muffin tin for a few minutes before loosening around sides and removing. Makes 18 muffins.