Healthy Picnic Meals

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Recipes for the perfect outdoor meal, plus tips to keep your food safe.
By Erin O'Donnell
WebMD Feature
Reviewed by Hansa D. Bhargava, MD
It's the perfect way to spend a sunny summer day: gathering with friends and family for a picnic under the shade of leafy trees. A few smart safety tips will ensure everyone avoids a stomachache or worse. First off, keep your hands clean, says Angela M. Fraser, PhD, associate professor and food safety education specialist at Clemson University.
"Hands can be a source of harmful pathogens," Fraser says. If you're in the middle of a meadow without warm water and soap, she recommends hand-sanitizing wipes and gel. Complete all food prep-- such as shaping hamburger patties and slicing watermelon -- at home before you arrive. Also, pack lots of serving utensils, such as spoons and tongs, to avoid bare-hand contact with food and cross-contamination between dishes.
Another tip: Keep foods cold, no warmer than 41ºF. Chill perishables in sealed containers in your fridge until just before you leave, then pack them in coolers surrounded by ice cubes. (Ice packs only chill the surfaces they touch, Fraser says.) Return leftover food to the cooler within an hour of eating, she says.
[h=3]Summer Confetti Salad[/h]This colorful salad features farro, a chewy ancient grain popular in Italian cooking. If you can't find farro, you can use wheat berries, barley, or quinoa instead.
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients
1½ cups farro
1 cup fresh corn, husked
1 cup red and yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup chopped English cucumber
1 red bell pepper, chopped
½ cup finely chopped parsley
1 tbsp lemon zest
3 oz crumbled feta cheese
¼ tsp sea salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
Directions
1. Place farro in a medium, heavy-bottom saucepan with enough water to cover 2-3 inches above the grain. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain farro and place in a large mixing bowl to cool.
2. Use a sharp knife to cut corn off cob. Combine corn, tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, parsley, lemon zest, and feta with farro.
3. Whisk together salt, pepper, olive oil, and vinegar. Pour over salad and toss thoroughly to combine. Cover salad and refrigerate at least one hour or overnight before packing it in the cooler.
Per serving
285 calories, 9 g protein, 37 g carbohydrate, 12 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 7 mg cholesterol, 5 g fiber, 4 g sugar, 202 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 36%
[h=3]Oven-Fried Chicken Strips With Sriracha Dipping Sauce[/h]This family favorite involves a kicky dipping sauce made with sriracha, a tangy hot sauce often used in Thai and Vietnamese restaurants. Find it in the Asian food section of large grocery stores. If you don't have buttermilk on hand, use the substitute described in the Best Broccoli Salad Ever recipe, available in the app.