From Healthy Travels: What To Do When Flying:
“I take oatmeal packets! The airlines always have hot water, and although I usually eat it in a paper cup with two stirrers, it beats the soggy (and questionable) sausage, pancake and egg breakfast on long international flights.” –Msjuju

“I always buy two big bottles of water after the security gate if the flight is four hours or more (otherwise just one). My last long flight, I took a small package of trail mix (just nuts, pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries), a granola bar, a cut-up apple and some baby carrots. All things that would fill me up but not make me feel uncomfortable while sitting around for long periods of time.” –Julo

From Cranberries 5 Ways:
“I love cranberries. I make a berry pie that contains cranberries, blueberries, blackberries and strawberries in any combination, along with cherry pie filling. I add very little sugar and use tapioca for the thickener. It is great.” –Cheryl

From 5 Tips For Smarter Tailgating:
“Buffalo chicken dip with shredded chicken, nonfat sour cream, hot sauce and light Mexican shredded cheese is unsurpassable. I’ve put it in a wrap and just eaten it like that — no chips necessary!” –FoodMakesFunFuel

From Leftover Chicken 5 Ways:
“I always make triple batches of whole-wheat pizza crust and freeze the leftover dough. Then when I have leftover chicken, I make pizza. I’ve done Mexican pizza, buffalo wing pizza and chicken/garlic pizza. Or just regular chicken, cheese, veggies and tomato sauce. Lots of room to be creative when it comes to chicken and pizza.” –Sabina

TELL US: Have a food tip or creative cooking suggestion? Share it on the blog, Twitter or our Facebook page.

1) Chill Out
Make a plan based on your office set up. Is there access to a refrigerator? If so, is there room for your lunch every day? Would you actually want to store something you’re going to eat in there? If that’s a definite no, ice packs are another alternative. Small, reusable ice packs cost about $1 each and can keep food cold for hours (this is great choice for kids’ lunches, too). Just don’t forget to bring them home to refreeze every night.

2) Keep Bacteria Under Control
Bacteria begin to thrive on prepared foods that get above 40 degrees Fahrenheit — so keep cooked food cooled (or warmed). A sturdy thermos is smart for warm foods. It might cost you at first, but it’ll last longer (and be safer) than disposable plastic containers. Don’t leave sandwiches and salad at room temperature for more than two hours — ditto that for any leftovers from last night’s dinner.

3) Don’t Take “Brown-Bagging” Literally
Skip buying those paper bags at the grocery store each month and switch to a reusable sack. They hold up better than paper bags, too (no soggy mess in your car from accidental spills or ripped bags). Get an insulated one, if possible.

4) Know What Stays and What Goes
Pack only what you’ll eat from day to day. Stash extra granola bars, fruit and things like nuts and crackers in your desk drawer, but don’t put any yogurt, cheese, sandwiches, sliced fruit and cottage cheese that’s traveled to and from work back in your home fridge. When in doubt, throw it out! If you can leave things at the office, label them with your name and date — just don’t forget about them. That’s how mystery foods accumulate in workplace kitchens and turn communal food areas into bacteria nightmares.

More quick tips:
• Rather than stashing a frozen pack in a kid’s lunch, consider freezing a juice box or small bottled water. It will thaw by lunchtime and keep the foods around it chilled.
• The cooler a food starts out, the safer it will be during transport. Making a tuna sandwich? Store the unopened canned tuna and bread slices in the fridge so they’re cold for morning prep.
• Clean out reusable sacks every night to kill bacteria from any spills. A dash of baking soda will tackle odors, too.
• Freeze sandwiches (but hold off on the mayo, lettuce or tomatoes till later) to keep them colder longer.

This USDA article has some more lunch-safety info.

TELL US: What are some of your favorite lunch-packing tips?

Before You Cook It
The last time I left meat out to defrost overnight, my 120-pound German Shepherd ate it! Serves me right for using an incorrect thawing technique — that is, on the counter. Briskets and turkeys are traditional holiday dishes that need particular attention when defrosting. Remember that large items take time to defrost — so make room and plan ahead! Meat is a hazardous food and many contain bacteria such as E. Coli and salmonella. Instead of letting the bacteria party all night and reproduce on your meat (each bacterium doubles every 20 minutes), slow them down by placing them in the refrigerator for about two days before you cook it. To be safe, store on a lower shelf on a tray or wrapped so juices don’t drip onto ready-to-eat foods such as cakes, fruits or veggies.

If the meat is still a little frozen when you need to cook it, run cool water over the meat making sure nothing else’s in the sink (the last thing you need to bacteria running on your dishes and sponges — gross!).

After the Feast
Leaving food out for hours after the festivities is another potential for disaster. Numerous people handled and served themselves from these dishes (I know, a disgusting thought and why I’m not fond of buffets). Make sure you don’t give any of the newly introduced bacteria time to multiply in the food.

Large pieces of leftover meat should be sliced about 2-to-3 inches thick and lined on a tray. Cover and refrigerate immediately. Soups, stews and chili also need to be poured into smaller containers or pots. Stainless steel allows the heat to dissipate easily and is typically used in restaurants.

You can also create an ice bath in your kitchen sink and place the containers on the ice, stirring occasionally. Using a thermometer can help make sure your food has cooled to around 70°F, at which time you can place in the refrigerator loosely covered.

Never place a large stockpot of hot soup in the refrigerator or freezer unless you want your electric bill to skyrocket! The heated food can raise the interior temperature and force your refrigerator to work overtime to cool down again. It can also take several days for the food to cool, making the temperatures perfect for bacteria to grow. Cooked food should not be refrigerated for more than 7 days (FDA recommendation), and some foods such as fish should be eaten with 2-3 days tops.

Reheating Leftovers
Reheat only what you need and not the entire batch. This helps maintain freshness and quality to your food. Make sure you bring liquids to a boil, and check the center of warmed-up food with a thermometer to be sure it reaches 165ºF. It shouldn’t take more than two hours to reheat the food so the internal temperature reads 165ºF. This will make sure you got rid of any of those invisible guys that might be lurking, and keep you from regretting digging in again later.

With a coconut milk marinade and a sweet-and-spicy dipping sauce, Ellie Krieger’s Chicken Sate with Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce is perfect for any party (like, say, New Year’s Eve). Plus, you can toss leftovers with pasta and steamed broccoli for a simple dinner.

Get the recipe »

Don’t think you’ll ever be hungry for one more Christmas cookie? Think again!

Instead of tossing those holiday leftovers to avoid more over-indulging, use them to your advantage. Here are some practical tips and recipes to help you reduce food waste and space out the calories.

1. Give It Away Now! - If you hosted the holiday festivities, plan ahead and have resealable plastic bags and food storage containers handy to send guests home with goodies. This works perfectly for cookies, candies or other sweets.

2. Zip It Good – Make sure to store all leftover foods in airtight containers; this keeps things fresher longer and gives you more time to finish off the stash.

3. Chill Out – Utilize your freezer – soups, cooked vegetables, breads, pastries and cookies all freeze very well and can be thawed for later indulging.

4. Recreate the Plate – Serve small portions of leftover turkey, roast beef or ham along with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables for sandwiches, salads, wraps or a light main course.

Try:
• Roasted Turkey with Papaya-Cranberry Salsa
• Turkey Avocado Wrap

5. Mix It Up – Toss left over veggies and seafood with small portions of pasta or brown rice.

6. Veg Out – Reduce portions of high calorie favorites by adding fresh or frozen vegetables to creamy soups or leftover mashed potatoes.

7. Go Nuts – Add remaining nuts and dried fruit to a simple and light spinach salad.

Try: Spinach Salad with Dried Cranberries, Walnuts and Pomegranate Vinaigrette

8. Be Creative – Combine herbs and roasted root vegetables along with a pinch of low fat cheese to make quesadillas, minis pizzas or omelets.

9. Safety First – Most foods will stay fresh for up to seven days, but if it looks or smells even a little funky, throw it out!

10. Feel the Burn – Work off some of those extra calories! Make sure to get some exercise in the weeks following holiday get-togethers. Prep leftover plates and march them to your neighbors (especially any ones up a hill).