Favorite go to food to pack in cooler
 

Beer!

You never specified this was about a trip cooler!

Buy a cold Subway 12" and put it in the cooler. Avoid soggy condiments.

I make beef chili and chicken on a bed of rice with corn and garbanzo beans. The juices from the chicken flavor the rice and keeps it moist. I put it in pyrex glass containers with no leak lids and freeze them. They stay cold for ~16 hours. With the dinners I pack 16oz lunchmeat packages from Hillshire Farm, mustard, Jam in a squeeze bottle and a loaf of whole wheat bread. After the dinners thaw I fill a medical type Ice bag (from CVS) which stays cool for ~14 hours.

This covers all meals on a four day.

Downsides:

Cooler weighs 15 pounds when full.

Blech. I'm always amazed at the crap people will put in their bodies in the name of saving a few bucks on a trip. Guess it's kinda like saving for a down payment on your by-pass surgery?

Homemade options that you can freeze and keep frozen are usually the best bet, at least for the first day or two. I have a background in the restaurant biz and food handling practices so I'm a little squeamish about going much beyond that. The magic number is 40 degrees. If your food spends much time above 40 degrees you start to see really impressive bacterial growth. Food poisoning can be great for cashing in sick-time but it's murder on your plumbing!

+1, well said.

You make a crew meal look like dinner at the Four Seasons....

Those yellow Tasty Bite bags that say "madras lentils" on it that you microwave in the pouch for 90 seconds are pretty good. I found them with a bunch of other Tasty Bite varieties but I've only tried that particular one. I've also bought it Costco in the past. It doesn't need refrigerated and you can eat it right out of the pouch. I like to eat at least one hot meal a day even when I'm at work and they seem to work out pretty good.

I refuse to fly with anyone who eats beef chili, chicken, corn and garbanzo beans for dinner. Unless you're deadheading and sitting no where near me!

The ready made tuna packets don't smell and don't have to be put in the fridge and are ready to go between your favorite slices of bread or crackers. Best thing is the other guy won't give you the stink eye!