October 9, 2003

Prairie Fare: Lunches on the Go

By Julie Garden-Robinson, Food and Nutrition Specialist
NDSU Extension Service

With three children in my home, mornings get a little chaotic. Sometimes things get forgotten. My lunch was one of the things recently missed on our morning "check-off" list.

My missing lunch became an opportunity to run an errand during my lunch hour. I picked up a burger at a fast food restaurant on the way.

"Do you want fries with that?" asked the server. I like fries occasionally, so I said, "Sure, I’ll have a small fry."

I was surprised to hear they no longer offered small orders of fries. The medium-size order I received was very generous.

As most people have noted, portion sizes are getting heftier in restaurants. Not one to waste food, I polished them off. If I made this a habit I would need to buy larger sized clothing.

I usually bring my lunch to work for a variety of reasons. It easier to control the contents of lunches that you make yourself. It’s more economical, too.

Any time you bring a lunch, there are safety considerations. According to the standard rule of thumb, perishable foods like meat-containing sandwiches should spend no more than two hours at room temperature.

Have you ever had the "flu"? Many people mistake foodborne illness for the flu. Mishandled or improperly stored food could be the culprit. Some types of foodborne illness may show up within an hour or two of eating the food. Other types may take days to appear.

To keep your lunch safe, take note of the limitations on cooking and storage at your destination. If your lunch needs refrigeration but refrigeration is not available, pack nonperishable items like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Many types of sandwiches freeze well, and they will thaw by lunchtime if placed in a lunch box early in the morning. Here are some other food safety tips:

• Use an insulated cooler with frozen gel packs if lunch contents are perishable.
• If refrigeration is not available, store lunches out of the sun, in the coolest possible place.
• Don’t re-use brown bags, because bacteria can grow and contaminate tomorrow’s lunch.
• To transport hot foods like soup or chili, rinse a thermos with boiling water just before filling it with hot food.
• Don’t save perishable leftovers from your lunch.

Here’s a tasty microwaveable recipe from the Wheat Foods Council. For more information about wheat-based foods and recipes, visit their Web site: http://www.wheatfoods.org/

Southwest Tortilla Wraps

4 10-inch flour tortillas
2 Tbsp. low-fat salad dressing or mayonnaise
1/2-cup chunky salsa
4 oz. sliced turkey or roast beef
1/3 cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
1/2 cup thin strips red pepper
1/4 cup sliced green onions
2 Tbsp. sliced black olives
pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

Spread salad dressing on tortilla; spread salsa over salad dressing. Top with meat, cheese, vegetables and cayenne pepper as desired. Roll and serve or heat 45 seconds in microwave on medium power. Each tortilla can be wrapped in plastic wrap after rolling and then refrigerated.

Makes 4 servings. Each serving contains 140 calories, 4 grams fat, 19 grams carbohydrate, 1gram fiber and 390 milligrams sodium.

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Source: Julie Garden-Robinson, (701) 231-7187, jgardenr@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu

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