Abstract: A sanitary guard for food and beverages is provided. The sanitary guard includes a guard plate and a mechanism for securing the guard plate to the torso of an individual user. When the guard plate is secured to the user, the guard plate extends outwardly from the torso of the user and establishes a protective barrier between the user's head and upper body area and any food or beverages being prepared or handled by the user. The guard plate is transparent so that the user can see through the plate and easily view the food being handled. The sanitary guard protects any food or beverages being handled by the user from human contaminants that may come from the user's head or upper body. Because the guard plate is secured to an individual user's torso, a protective barrier is always present without interfering with the user's ability to work.