A cooler is a convenient way to pack a meal to take outdoors with you. Selecting some healthy foods that transport well and taste good chilled will help you prepare a nutritious meal to enjoy while you spend time outside. The United States Department of Agriculture recommends preparing your food, packing it in a clean cooler and surrounding it with ice or frozen ice packs to prevent food-borne illness. With these safety tips in mind, many foods can be put in your cooler for your next outing.
Meat
If you are taking a cooler of food on a camping trip or on a picnic, you may have access to a grill for preparing raw meats. You can safely transport raw chicken, hamburger patties and steak as long as you do not keep them in the same cooler as your other foods. Raw meat can contaminate your other food if it leaks, which may lead to food poisoning. You can put cooked meats, such as chicken or turkey, in a cooler as long as you use plenty of ice or ice packs. Lean meats are healthy additions to your outdoor meal because they supply protein as well as some iron and zinc.
Salads
There are many salads that transport easily and supply nutrition to your outside meal. You can prepare fruit salad ahead of time using fruits like apples, oranges, berries and melon. A squirt of lemon juice will prevent browning while your salad travels in the cooler. Save bananas for slicing just before eating your fruit salad because they tend to get mushy when chilled for too long. Cold pasta salad is another fiber-filled option that travels well. A tossed green salad with nutrient-dense vegetables like spinach, tomatoes and cucumbers is another healthy choice that is easy to transport in a cooler.
Sandwiches
You can transport pre-made sandwiches in a cooler, as well as ingredients to make a fresh sandwich when it's time for your outdoor meal. Peanut butter and honey sandwiches are a healthy choice that you can make ahead of time; they supply protein and fiber. You can pack deli meats and cheese slices in a chilled cooler with plenty of ice. Vegetables, such as lettuce, tomato and onion, also travel well. The USDA recommends packing cold sandwiches over hot ones because they can be chilled with ice packs for several hours until it's time to eat them.
Snacks
Spending the day outside will require 1 or 2 snacks to give you energy to stay active. There are many healthy snacks that you can store in a cooler until you're ready to eat them. String cheese is a calcium and protein-filled snack that will not spoil if you pack it in ice. Fresh fruits and vegetables that have been pre-chopped are also healthy options that supply vitamin C and potassium. Grapes, cherry tomatoes, berries and baby carrots are all produce that you can easily pack in a cooler. Yogurt and hard-boiled eggs supply protein and can be chilled in a cooler as well.
References
- United States Department of Agriculture: Food Safety while Hiking, Camping and Boating
- "Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book"; Better Homes and Gardens; 2006
- "The Blue Ribbon Country Cookbook"; Diane Roupe; 2007
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