It's going to be a tough summer for a lot of people as gas prices and food prices reach all-time highs in addition to predicted energy supply challenges.

A University of Illinois Extension Nutrition Educator is hoping some tips she has can be of help to those that anticipate a struggle. If we end up with power outages this summer, Caitlin Mellendorf says food preservation is going to be something we'll want to make sure we keep top of mind.

An increasingly popular food preservation practice is dehydration and Mellendorf says this can be a great option this summer. She explains there are several foods that can be dehydrated and thus do not have to be refrigerated.

As things heat up this summer, Mellendorf says we are going to want to use the food in our refrigerators first because that will go bad first. She says a strange but effective suggestion is to reheat food on the grill if you can.

In the event you have to turn to foods from the freezer, Mellendorf says to make sure those foods get completely cooked. She indicates there is growing evidence undercooked food, even vegetables, can cause sickness.