Beautiful summer days just beg for a picnic. Eating outdoors on a blanket with the grass or a sandy beach underfoot somehow makes the food taste even better. Keep these tips in mind to insure an optimally healthy and enjoyable experience.

Sure those wicker baskets are cute, but save those for non-perishables. For everything else use an insulated basket or cooler. (They make cute ones of those now too! See below) Pack heartier items on the bottom, like cooked meats, and more delicate items like fruit and salad greens on top.

Fill one with items, like drinks, that you will be grabbing for frequently or early-on, and the other with items you won’t be consuming until later in the day.

Use plenty of icepacks too, but freezing some of your water bottles does double duty; keeping foods extra cool and insuring nice cold water late in the day.

Don’t keep perishable food outside the cooler for more than 2 hours (1 hour on a very hot day). It’s not worth the risk of getting sick!

Don’t forget to pack plenty of picnic friendly summer fruits and veggies, like cherries, grapes, cucumber slices, radishes, and snap peas.