Plan a Memorial Day Picnic

Warm weather is finally here! Time for flip-flops, swimming, and of course backyard barbecues. January is usually the time to make new resolutions but what better way to kick off summer than with a goal of healthy eating and a picnic with family and friends. Here are some tips for a memorable Memorial Day picnic:

Buy Local

Support your favorite local businesses by shopping at a nearby farmer’s market. You’ll know where your food is coming from, support local farmers, get in-season Maryland produce, and you may find a new favorite food.

Ripe for the Picking

After months of planting, watering, and waiting fresh produce has finally arrived.  Choose berries and leafy greens that ripen in the month of May.  Strawberries, spinach and lettuce are in-season now.  Try picking your own produce at a local farm near you!

Eat a Rainbow

Select foods of different colors.  Create a plate filled with blue, green, red, yellow, and orange foods. Also, fruits and vegetables of different colors have different nutrients that benefit our bodies.

Grill & Chill

Not only is it important to choose what we eat, but also how we cook our food. Grilling is a smart cooking option because food is not soaking in fat or being deep-fried in grease. Grilling also adds a wonderful smoky flavor.

Get Moving

Play games like volleyball, tag, and capture-the-flag to get your blood pumping. Too hot outside? Cool off with a dip in the pool or play water games like water bottle squirt tag or toss water balloons.

Grab Some Friends

Having family and friends with you to enjoy your picnic will make lasting memories.

 

Summer Picnic Food Safety

A summer picnic is a great way to change up the scenery from your home dining table to eating with your friends and family in the great outdoors.  Picnics can be at a local park or even in your own backyard!  Whether your picnic is steps from your home or miles away, there are some important food safety tips to keep you and your family happy, healthy and safe!

Picnic Basics 101
Here are a few things you may always want to keep on hand for any and all picnics.

• Bring water for cleaning if none will be available at the site.  Pack clean, wet, disposable or moist towelettes and paper towels for cleaning hands and surfaces.
• Bring hand sanitizer if soap and drinkable water is not available at the site.  (Cleaning is different than sanitizing). 
• Bring plenty of ice or frozen gel packs.
• Bring clean plates, utensils, and serving utensils.

What I Need to Think about for Picnic Day

• Pack foods that will not spoil as quickly during Maryland's hot summers.  Examples of food that would spoil are hard boiled eggs, deli meats, and peeled and cut fruits and vegetables.   Examples of some foods that would NOT spoil as fast are nuts, dried fruit, whole fruits and veggies, and crackers.
• If you do packs foods that can spoil, pack only enough food so that there will be no leftovers.
• If bringing hot take-out food, eat it within one hour of purchase when the temperature is above 90 degrees.
• Buy an insulated cooler with plenty of ice or frozen gel packs that you can keep foods in that easily spoil.  Your family may want to have two coolers, one for food and one for drinks.
• Do not leave foods out in the sun.  Keep the cooler in the shade.  Serve food quickly from the cooler and return it fast.  Food should not sit out of the cooler over an hour in 90 degree weather.
• If you are planning to grill, visit our previous blog on grilling food safety.
• Do not forget to unpack the cooler as soon as you return home.  Refrigerate leftover meats and salads which have stayed cold (40 degrees and lower).  Discard the food if they have become warm.

Do not forget to bring a garbage bag to clean up after your awesome picnic!

Picnic Food Safety

 

Summer is quickly approaching which means long, lazy days of sunshine.  Cooking in a hot kitchen might not seem like fun when it is hot, so plan a picnic or two during the summer months!  You really don't need to get fancy.  Picnics can be as simple as spreading a blanket on a nearby patch of grass. 

Have plenty of water to drink to help keep everyone cool.  Slice up a lemon or lime and freeze the slices ahead of time, then toss them in a big jug of water.  The frozen fruit will lightly flavor the water and help keep it cold.

Always think about food safety when you plan the food for your picnic.  Most food is only safe to eat for a short time after it is either taken out of the refrigerator or off the stove, so pay close attention to what you'll serve.

• If you are going to serve any type of cold salad, be sure to keep these on ice or in a cooler.  You will want to toss out any leftovers when you are done, so only bring along enough for your family to eat right away. 
• Remember:  Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold!
• Foods that can be enjoyed at room temperature are great choices like whole fruits and vegetables.  In the summer months, fresh local peaches, watermelon, and cucumbers are available and affordable.  Always wash the outside of the fruit or veggie, then slice it just before you are ready to serve it.  Take along only enough to finish at your picnic.
• Do you need healthy ideas for picnic foods?  Check out a previous post here for more healthy picnic foods to pack for your family.

And, if you are making meat on a grill, always put the cooked meat on a clean plate (not the plate that held the raw meat).

Bring along some games to play outside, too.  That will get the whole family moving.  Heave an active and food-safe summer!

For more information about food safety, visit:

USDA Food Safety
Foodsafety.gov
Eating Outdoors, Handling Food Safely -- FDA
Picnic Eating and Outdoor Dining

Pick Healthy Picnic Foods

Make your picnic a healthy one!  With warm weather here, many of us are planning those special outdoor meals with family and friends.  If you are having a barbecue in the backyard, a picnic on the beach, or going on a camping trip, it is easy to serve foods that are healthy and full of flavor.
Consider these tips when packing your picnic basket:

Choose low fat main dishes:  Lean meats such as baked chicken (not fried), skinless chicken breasts and pork tenderloin are good choices.  When making burgers, use lean ground beef or turkey.  Aim for meat that is 93% or higher lean ground beef or turkey.  Veggies burgers are also very tasty for picnics.  Sandwich wraps can be a change from the normal sandwich.  Make them with lean meats, low fat cheese and filled with lots of veggies.  They are easy to pack and travel well.

Enjoy in season fruits and veggies:  Include crunchy raw veggies like carrots, broccoli, celery, and cherry tomatoes for your meals and snacks.  Don't forget a dip.  Try salsa, hummus or low fat yogurt made with herbs and spices.  Apples, pears, berries, peaches, and watermelon can be used whole, sliced or cubed for easy snacking and desserts.  These low calorie treats are high in vitamins and minerals.  They are easy to prepare ahead of time and keep cold.

A variety of seasonal fruits and veggies are available at the local Farmers' Market at affordable prices.  Visit your local market with your family.  Try some old favorites as well as something new.

Switch to whole grains: Whole grain buns, pita bread, and wraps can add a welcome taste to grilled chicken, beef, fish, and veggies.  Look for whole grains by reading the ingredient label on the package.  Try using other whole grains in your dishes like whole grain pasta, brown rice or couscous.  Add whole grain bread to your picnic and enjoy its many health benefits.

Pasta salads are common picnic treats!  To make them even healthier, toss your favorite chopped vegetables with whole grain pasta and a light oil and vinegar salad dressing.  Switching from a mayonnaise base dressing to oil and vinegar will also save calories.  Grilled veggies are also a yummy addition.  Try corn on the cob, zucchini, eggplant, mushrooms, and onions.

Beverages: Getting thirsty can happen easily when you are outside having fun on a warm day.  Pack plenty of cold drinks to keep everyone comfortable.  Healthy choices are ice water, unsweetened iced tea, and 100% fruits juices mixed half and half with water.  Frozen fruit pops made with 100% juice can also be a refreshing treat for children.

Try these healthy options when planning your picnic this summer!

Keeping Your Summer Foods Safe

Summer is a great time to cook outside!  Whether you are grilling or packing a picnic, you will get to enjoy the outdoors.  Make your summer meals healthier by taking advantage of all of the locally-grown produce available in the summer -- fresh corn and garden tomatoes, peaches and strawberries, and so much more!

Grilling and picnic meals come with food safety concerns, so follow these four simple rules for safe and healthy summer meals: clean, separate, cook and chill.

CLEAN

• Use hot, soapy water to wash your hands, utensils, and cutting boards before and after using raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs.

SEPARATE

• Keep raw meats separate from ready-to-eat foods.
• Always use a separate cutting board for raw and cooked foods.
• Use clean utensils to take foods from the grill.  Put cooked foods on a clean plate.  A different plate from the one you used to bring the raw meat out to the grill!

COOK

• Be sure to defrost meat completely before grilling; this helps the meat cook more evenly.
• If you marinate your meat before grilling, keep marinated food in the refrigerator. Make up extra marinate to use later as a sauce on the cooked food -- do not put the left-over marinade on cooked meats unless you boil the marinade first.
• Grilled pieces of meat that are the same size will cook at the same rate.
• Use a clean food thermometer to check the internal temperature of foods.  Cook ground beef to at least 160 degrees to kill harmful bacteria.

CHILL

• Use plenty of freezer packs or ice in an insulated cooler if you are packing perishables for a picnic.
• Refrigerate or freeze perishable foods, grilled foods, and leftovers within two hours.
• Put large amounts of leftovers into small, shallow containers for quick cooling in the refrigerator or freezer.
• Throw away any perishable food left out for more than two hours.  If it is above 90 degrees, food should be left out for not more than 1 hour.

Food safety actually starts at the grocery store.  Buy raw meats and dairy foods at the end of your shopping trip, right before you check out. Put raw meat packages in plastic bags to keep juices from dripping.  Load your perishable foods in the coolest part of the car and take groceries home right away.  Don't make any other shopping stops after you've bought your groceries, especially in the summer when temperatures inside a car can get well over 100 degrees!  As soon as you get home, put the raw meats and dairy foods in the refrigerator.

For more information about food safety, visit http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/basics/index.html