How to plan the most delightful picnic

Use these food-packing pointers

The ideal cooler temperature is 40˚ or below—you can place a small thermometer at the top of the cooler to gauge the temperature. Raw foods, like meat, should be kept separate from prepared foods. To be super safe, I like to pack one cooler for food and a second one for drinks. This helps prevent cross contamination (as ice melts, bacteria can be transferred to drinks and other cooler items). But also, coolers are opened frequently for beverages, so packing separate coolers helps cut back on the times the food cooler is opened and exposed to warmer temperatures. The fewer times you open a cooler, the colder it will stay. I like to freeze water bottles the night before so I can use them to help keep things chilled and prevent things from getting too soggy from the melted ice. Bonus: you can enjoy a cold beverage as they melt during the day.