Warm-weather friendly dishes
When it comes to deciding what to place in your picnic basket, you want to fill up on an array of healthy and tasty dishes that include protein, fruits, vegetables and salads. You also don’t want your food to spoil. “You want to make sure the food you’re serving your friends and family is stored at the right temperature so you don’t pass along any food-borne illnesses,” says Laura Ali, a registered dietitian and nutritionist for the StarKist company, who’s based in its Pittsburgh headquarters.
Prioritize safety
Food that contains mayonnaise, such as potato or tuna salad, shouldn’t be outside a refrigerator or cooler for more than two hours, or one hour when the temperature is 90 degrees or above, Ali says. “If it should be cold, keep it cold,” she says. “It’s better to be safe than sorry.” Foods that aren’t properly cooled are at risk of developing bacteria, which can cause food poisoning. Symptoms of food poisoning include gastrointestinal pain, fever, chills, fatigue, weakness, nausea and diarrhea. To mitigate this risk, here are 10 tasty dishes that’ll hold up in warm weather:
Fresh vegetable salads
Salads featuring fresh veggies like broccoli, tomatoes, cucumbers and red onions topped with a light balsamic vinaigrette make for a refreshing and healthy picnic dish you can eat without fear of spoiling, Ali says. “Firm, fresh vegetables aren’t going to go bad,” she says. “They can be served at room temperature.” Leafy greens might wilt in heat and humidity, but they’re still a good option if you have a cooler to store them in.
Pasta salads
Potato salads with mayo may not be the best bet in warm weather, but “you cannot go wrong with a pasta salad” without mayonnaise, says plant-based food blogger Jennifer Rose, who shares recipes on the website Neurotic Mommy. “The pasta salad I usually make consists of tricolor pasta, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper and other seasonings to taste, along with fresh vegetables like broccoli, shaved carrots, peas, diced red peppers and olives,” Rose says. “The more vegetables the better. Pasta generally holds up well outside. As long as it’s in a bit of oil to keep it moist and not stick together, it’s a win-win.”
Tuna and salmon
You can dress up your salads with tuna or salmon without worrying about spoilage or needing a cooler if you use pre-prepared sealed pouches of the fish offerings, Ali says. StarKist sells tuna and salmon in an array of flavors, including sweet and spicy, lemon dill and Thai chili style for tuna, and lemon dill and mango chipotle for salmon. “You can just open the pouches and drop the tuna and salmon on top of the salads,” Ali says. Tuna and salmon are also great in sandwiches that may not need mayo; the fish are moist and flavorful enough that you don’t necessarily need dressing, Ali says.
Pickled vegetables
Another type of food that holds up well in warm weather is pickled vegetables, says Sara Carter, head chef of Tristan Events & Catering, based in Charleston, South Carolina. One classic concoction includes succotash, fresh corn, garden peas, spring onions, butterbeans and bell peppers mixed together. Pickling is easy — just combine vinegar, water, herbs, salt and sugar in a small saucepan. Heat the concoction to a boil while stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar, pour the brine over the veggies in a jar, then refrigerate.
Mediterranean foods
Mediterranean dishes such as grape leaves, olives, sun-dried tomatoes and roasted bell pepper slices are hardy and hold up well outdoors, says Sharon Palmer, a registered dietitian based in Los Angeles who writes The Plant-Powered Blog. “You could put them out on a board and mix and match them,” she says. “They’re beautiful, they’re healthy and they lend themselves to a picnic.”
Fresh fruit
Fresh fruits — think apples, apricots, pears, cantaloupe, watermelon, plums, blackberries — are great options for picnics and barbecues, Palmer says. “You can just pack them whole; you don’t need to chop them up,” she says. “They don’t require refrigeration if the picnic’s just for a few hours. They’re colorful and blend in with the outdoor environment, and you want to eat strawberries or cherries or apricots when you’re outdoors.”
Fruit salsa
Salsas made with mango, melon and tomato are refreshing, tasty and healthy — and great choices for a picnic or barbecue, Ali says. These types of salsas are widely available in grocery stores and don’t require strong culinary skills to prepare. For example, one recipe available online calls for mixing a chopped mango with ingredients such as with 1/4 cup of finely chopped red bell pepper, a chopped green onion, 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro, 2 tablespoons of lime juice and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice in a medium bowl. Just mix the ingredients, cover the bowl and let it sit for 30 minutes. Fruit salsas are excellent with baked chips.
Fruit bars
For a tasty and healthy dessert that doesn’t require refrigeration, try fruit bars. They’re simple to make — one of Palmer’s recipes, for example, calls for pressing a mixture of fresh, dried or frozen fruits with whole-grain cereal, nuts, oats, honey and nut butter into a baking dish. Bake the concoction for 25 minutes, then cut into bars. Frozen red raspberries are a great choice for this recipe, because they don’t require chopping and are frozen at peak ripeness, which preserves all the fruit’s nutrients.
Miniature popcorn
Mini popcorn — made from small popcorn kernels — is a great outdoor dessert or snack that will hold up in warm weather. For instance, miniature popcorn by The Little Kernel is popped in 100 percent olive oil and stays crispy and crunchy in any kind of weather. Little Kernel mini popcorn comes in a variety of flavors, such as Truffle Sea Salt, Sweet & Salty and Pink Himalayan Salt.
Zucchini chips
Instead of greasy, salty potato chips, try zucchini chips, a tasty alternative that’s a great summer snack, says vegan chef Karliin Brooks, author of “Squeeze Life: Your Guide to the Best Bare Body at Any Age.” Many organic food stores and some general outlets, like Wal-Mart, sell this item. You can make your own by slicing zucchinis very thinly and combining the slices in a bowl with ingredients like garlic powder, lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, cumin, smoked paprika and chipotle powder until the slices are coated. Finally, place the slices in a dehydrator at 115 degrees, and dehydrate until they’re crispy.
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10 Picnic Foods That Won’t Spoil in Warm Weather originally appeared on usnews.com
