Tips to Keep Food Safe for Traveling College Students

After reading last week’s column on packing safe lunches for school-age children, it was obvious that college students--who are also returning to study halls this month--had been omitted. Yet keeping food safe and healthful is an important issue for this age group, too.

Whether your scholar likes to take back leftovers after a weekend at home, or is storing food in his or her dorm or apartment, here are some helpful safety guidelines from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Meat and Poultry Hotline, a toll-free consumer service that can answer questions on safe handling and storage of meat and poultry.

Traveling with food takes careful planning, says the USDA. During a long, often hot drive back to campus, food poisoning bacteria can multiply.

It is not practical to try keeping foods hot for a long trip home. Instead, plan to completely cool cooked foods in the refrigerator before leaving. For fast cooling, divide quantities into smaller, shallow containers. Then, pack a cooler with an ice source and the thoroughly cooled foods. Freezing foods before travel is also an option, the hot line suggests.

A Greater Challenge

Storing food in the dorm presents a bigger challenge. A community refrigerator in the dorm may be overloaded with food items and, therefore, may not keep foods cold enough to be safe. The colder the food is kept, says the hot line, the less chance bacteria has to grow. So make sure the refrigerator is providing good protection against bacterial growth by checking an appliance thermometer, which should register 40 degrees or lower.

To reheat the food, many dorm dwellers use a hot plate. To be absolutely safe, raw food should be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees (180 degrees for poultry) to ensure that any bacteria in the food is killed. Even cooked food that is being warmed on a hot plate should reach 160 degrees.

For answers to other questions on meat and poultry safety, call the hot line at (800) 535-4555.

The recipes suggested here are terrific late-night study snacks, which are usually prepared with a minimum of fuss at the last minute or can be made ahead, frozen and popped into the microwave for enjoyment later.

To Satisfy the Munchies

To appease midnight munchies quickly and easily make Late-Night Ham and Cheese Rolls. These light and easy pinwheel sandwiches are high in protein and they get a boost of Vitamin E from the addition of crunchy almonds. Crisp lettuce, creamy herbed cheese, thinly sliced ham and the almonds are wrapped in extra large flour tortillas. Wrap each sandwich in foil in the refrigerator until needed and cut in thick or thin slices depending upon your appetite. Chewy cracker bread rounds can be substituted for tortillas.

The remaining recipes, especially those that call for a sauce or meat base that is heated and served on a bun, can be prepared entirely in advance (possibly at home) and then reheated and served in the dorm later.

LATE-NIGHT HAM AND CHEESE ROLLS

1 cup chopped almonds

2 (8-ounce) packages Neufchatel cheese, softened

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon fresh dill weed

1 teaspoon dried basil leaves

1/2 cup sliced green onions

6 large flour tortillas

1 pound thinly sliced ham

8 red leaf lettuce leaves

Spread almonds in shallow pan or on baking sheet. Toast at 350 degrees 10 minutes, stirring once or twice until lightly browned. Cool.

Blend cheese with mustard, garlic, dill, basil, almonds and green onions. Heat tortillas according to package directions. Spread cheese mixture on 1 side of tortillas, then top with ham and lettuce. Roll tightly, sealing edges. Roll in foil and chill until ready to use. Cut in long diagonal slices, placing cut-side down on serving plate. Makes 6 servings.

Note: Two large cracker bread rounds may be substituted for tortillas.

PER SERVING: 570 calories; 33 gm protein; 42 gm carbohydrate; 31 gm fat; 901 mg sodium; 509 mg potassium.

USRDA

Protein 50% Riboflavin 37% Vitamin A 16% Niacin 32% Vitamin C 07% Calcium 19% Thiamine 36% Iron 35%

TURKEY RED DEVILS

4 slices whole-wheat toast

2 teaspoons butter

4 (1-ounce) slices sharp Cheddar cheese

4 slices tomato

1/4 teaspoon salt

Pepper

4 (1-ounce) slices cooked turkey

1 (10 1/2-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup turkey broth

Cayenne pepper

Paprika

Watercress

Spread toast with butter and place in shallow baking pan. Top each with 1 slice cheese, 1 slice tomato sprinkled with salt and pepper and 1 slice turkey.

Mix soup with broth and season to taste with cayenne. Top each sandwich with 1/4 cup soup mixture. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 425 degrees about 15 minutes until cheese begins to melt and top is slightly browned. Lift sandwiches carefully onto warm individual plates and garnish with watercress sprig. Makes 4 servings.

PER SERVING: 322 calories; 21 gm protein; 20 gm carbohydrate; 19 gm fat; 1,196 mg sodium; 354 mg potassium.

USRDA

Protein 33% Riboflavin 17% Vitamin A 19% Niacin 23% Vitamin C 15% Calcium 28% Thiamine 07% Iron 11%

COLD ROAST BEEF SANDWICH

1 tablespoon horseradish

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon prepared mustard

4 slices white bread

4 ounces cold roast beef

2 lettuce leaves

2 large tomato slices

Combine horseradish, mayonnaise and mustard. Spread on 1 side of each bread slice. Place roast beef slices on 2 slices bread and add lettuce and tomato. Top with remaining bread. Makes 2 sandwiches.

PER SERVING: 558 calories; 19 gm protein; 32 gm carbohydrate; 39 gm fat; 488 mg sodium; 209 mg potassium.

USRDA

Protein 30% Riboflavin 15% Vitamin A 09% Niacin 20% Vitamin C 15% Calcium 07% Thiamine 14% Iron 20%

DELI SANDWICHES

4 hamburger buns

4 (1-ounce) slices Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup drained sauerkraut

1/2 pound thinly sliced dry salami

4 (1-ounce) slices Swiss cheese

Open hamburger buns and place 1 slice Cheddar cheese, 2 tablespoons sauerkraut, 1/4 of salami and 1 slice Swiss cheese on bottom halves of rolls. Broil 4 inches from heat about 3 minutes or until cheese melts. Place top of buns over cheese to serve. Makes 4 servings.

PER SERVING: 406 calories; 22 gm protein; 24 gm carbohydrate; 25 gm fat; 996 mg sodium; 163 mg potassium.

USRDA

Protein 34% Riboflavin 23% Vitamin A 14% Niacin 11% Vitamin C 07% Calcium 52% Thiamine 15% Iron 11%

MUNCHY BURGERS

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed

1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon instant minced onion

1/4 cup minced celery

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons water

2 cups diced cooked lean beef

1 (1-pound) can bean sprouts, drained

4 hamburger rolls, split

Combine tomato sauce, sugar, Worcestershire, onion and celery in saucepan. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer a few minutes.

Combine cornstarch and water and stir into tomato mixture. Cook, stirring, until thickened. Add meat and simmer about 5 minutes or until meat is heated through. Add bean sprouts and heat. Spoon over split rolls to serve. Makes 4 servings.

PER SERVING: 363 calories; 29 gm protein; 42 gm carbohydrate; 9 gm fat; 642 mg sodium; 516 mg potassium.

USRDA

Protein 45% Riboflavin 25% Vitamin A 11% Niacin 30% Vitamin C 43% Calcium 07% Thiamine 25% Iron 30%

PIZZA-STYLE EGG SANDWICHES

6 slices white bread

1 (10-ounce) package sharp Cheddar cheese, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons butter

6 eggs

1/4 teaspoon salt

Pepper

Oregano

1 (8-ounce) can pizza sauce

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Toast 1 side of bread slices in broiler. Turn over and place 4 slices Cheddar cheese on each. Broil until cheese is melted, 2 to 3 minutes.

While bread is toasting, heat butter in skillet. Break eggs, 1 at a time, into sauce dish and then into skillet. Reduce heat immediately. Cook slowly to desired doneness, basting eggs with fat or turning to cook on both sides. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and oregano.

While eggs are cooking, heat pizza sauce in small saucepan. Place toasted cheese sandwiches on plate. Top each with fried egg and spoon pizza sauce over egg. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Makes 6 servings.

PER SERVING: 444 calories; 23 gm protein; 20 gm carbohydrate; 30 gm fat; 972 mg sodium; 144 mg potassium.

USRDA

Protein 36% Riboflavin 28% Vitamin A 30% Niacin 05% Vitamin C 00% Calcium 47% Thiamine 12% Iron 15%