Whether you are hiking or just spending the day at the playground and waterfront in the state park, you want to keep your lunch and snacks from wilting, melting, and spoiling. Knowing about safe food temperatures, having a few strategies for keeping things cool, and choosing foods that hold up to the heat all help you to keep your family fueled and satisfied even on hot summer days.
I briefly discussed food-safe temperatures in previous articles. But here is a quick rationale for food safety. The USDA recommends cooking and storing temperatures to ward off food borne illnesses. Cooking food, especially meat, to a minimum internal temperature destroys the harmful bacteria that may be present. Storing foods at proper temps prevents future bacterial growth.
There are three main culprits to what we commonly call food poisoning: Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria. It’s difficult to tell which one you have without a doctor’s diagnosis because the symptoms are similar in each case. The most common are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and fever. Salmonella kicks in fast, within 12 to 72 hours. E. coli takes a little longer at 2 to 5 days. Listeria is sneaky and can take a few days or a few weeks after infection to show symptoms.
I recently heard a story about food poisoning from a friend who had some bad clams over a decade ago. He said that it’s an experience you’ll never forget! Lest you think you have nothing to worry about, CDC statistics tell us that about 48 million Americans experience food-borne illness every year. That’s about 13% of the population. While very few of those are hospitalized or perish, it’s an experience we would all rather avoid for sure.
There are a number of great coolers and thermal food containers on the market. Some popular brands are Yeti, Coleman, and Hydro Flask. When choosing a product, consider the size, insulation, and durability. Look for products made from high-quality materials that have good customer reviews. We decided it’s worth the investment for a product that works better than the average cooler and will last for decades.
What about snacks for a hike? Keeping your picnic food in coolers and thermal containers that only go from the car to the table or blanket is one thing. If you are carrying granola bars, energy bars, or trail mix, you need a different strategy. These products are manufactured to be easily transported and consumed. But let’s face it, they do sometimes melt in your hand as well as your mouth. They also stick to the wrapper like they have unbreakable chemical bonds. And then the kids have sticky hands. And we all know how that ends.
You can keep trail snacks from going nuclear in your backpack and ending up with a sticky hand disaster with a simple trick. Use a small ice pack inside a fabric lunch cooler. You don’t have to worry about the exact temperature for these shelf-stable foods. What you want is to keep the sugars from melting. Granola bars and energy bars usually contain honey, agave, or some other natural sweetener. Any chocolate chunks for M&Ms will melt too. This is what makes a sticky mess when it’s been in your pack on a hot summer day. But a light-weight lunch cooler and an ice pack for these items makes a huge difference.
A good cooler is a matter of food safety. Packing shelf-stable snacks is a matter of food convenience. I hope these few tips help you to have happy, healthy snacks for the rest of our hot weather days.