Storing Food Properly Makes Travel Much Easier

As an adventurous person, there's nothing better than traveling. It can be over a large distance, going somewhere on vacation or maybe a road trip somewhere, anywhere really. Even as a non-adventurous person, seeing new sites can always be satisfying and what makes it even better is knowing that there's good food packed and ready. There’s no cutting short on your trip to buy food or snacks. Even better is no food poisoning as your food is clean and contaminant-free, provided that you've stored your food safely and correctly. It doesn’t hurt saving a few coins here and there while at it. In this article, we are going to discuss proper ways of food storage while traveling, be it dry foods, frozen foods, drinks, snacks or anything you may prefer. The list includes but is not limited to some of the things to consider when storing food properly.

1 - Planning Ahead

As with any travel, long or short of distance, planning is always required as we don't want to be in a rush at the last minute after forgetting essential things. With this step, you'll need to know what foods are to be carried on your trip and how to prepare each as required. It's also best to pre-freeze ice in containers to keep your foods frozen longer and it will save some money on buying what is just frozen water. This means also buying the required means of storage. There’s no reason food should ever go bad or spoil. 

2 - Buying the Right Cooler

Now that you've decided what you'll carry on your trip, you probably need a cooler for your frozen foods and drinks. Coolers differ in many ways and what a functional cooler requires is a bottom drain that aids in releasing melted ice, an airtight seal to keep Cold air trapped, we don't want any defrosting to happen beforehand, and lastly, a strong latch to keep all the contents inside from spilling at any given moment. If you decide to pack both frozen foods and drinks, it's probably best to purchase two coolers as the one with the drinks you'll open from time to time. Store the coolers preferably in a dark place in your car and, if possible, cover them up to help with insulation. Don't forget to pre-chill your cooler also the night before.

3 - Storing Dry Food

Now that your frozen foods are sorted out, you need to start on your dry foodstuff. Glass containers are always preferred to plastic, one reason being that if it gets hot, plastic tends to heat up, transferring chemicals to your food which can be very harmful. Plastic also attracts unwanted pests and rodents, which is a no-no for your foodstuff.

4 - Buying Fresh Food

Buying fresh food is always a smart idea as it will take longer for it to go bad, consider doing this on the day of travel. A best before date and use by date are always a great guideline when purchasing some of these products. Also, do not wash the fresh produce and put them in bags immediately as this will build up humidity making your food spoil even faster. Wash just before consumption instead. 

5 - Pack Properly

Now that you've prepared and pre-planned what to carry on your trip, the right packaging for your foods is required. Starting with your cooler, you'll want to do this immediately from your freezer. First, pack the ice in the containers at the bottom to create a layer. Next, you'll pack the frozen foods on top of the containers, ensure you double-check the foods are completely frozen and completely sealed. After this add a layer of ice to which you'll place your other foods such as meat you've planned to eat sooner in the trip and some fruits.Add another layer of ice and on top of this, now place your fresh foodstuffs. Remember, the fuller the cooler, the longer the cold will last, so try and fill the empty spaces with more ice until it’s full. For the fresh foods, how to store them is fully dependent on the type of produce. Some broccoli require foil and cheese may require baking paper. The dried foods and snacks can be stored anywhere, especially if you plan to snack on them while on the road, but a cool, dry area is best. Now that you're all set with packing, one thing to not forget is that your cooler needs a temperature of 4°c or lower to avoid any risk of food poisoning.