ADVERTISEMENT
Subscribe to our Newsletter:
Healthy Diet Plans >>  Family Meal Plan >>  Picnic Foods

Choosing Foods For Picnic At A Hanging Rock Destination

A picnic is always exciting. It immediately conjures up visions of food, lots of it, and eaten out in the open, under a blue cloudless sky.

But choosing the right foods for a picnic is an art. You cannot have the same food that you would normally serve for a lunch or dinner at home. Here are a few guidelines.

Keep it simple.
Do not make elaborate menus, with sauces and gravies and custards. Carrying such foods can be difficult especially since there is always a chance of it spilling over and causing stains. Keep foods as dry as possible.

Finger Foods For A Romantic Picnic

  • Finger foods are the most convenient or at the most something which will need only a fork to be eaten. Pre-cut meats is a better option, since if you carry meats which need to be cut, you would also need to take along not just good cutlery, but also sturdy plates.
  • Ensure that the food you are carrying has a hearty flavor. Delicate flavors cannot really be appreciated when eating al fresco.
  • Carry simple food but make sure that there’s lots of it. The outdoors always seems to increase one’s appetite.
  • Don’t carry too many choices – or you’ll be busy- constantly passing food around.
  • What foods? Chips and other fried snacks come to mind when thinking picnic food. But there are many more healthy and filling options too, which you can put together in a jiffy.
  • Sandwiches are an all-time favorite. They can be made easily at home, are easy to carry and eat outdoors. Fill them with sliced meat or vegetables. While whole-meal sandwiches would be a healthy option, there are some who do not like the taste. You can add one slice of white and one of whole-meal bread as a compromise.
  • Rolls and bagels are also good for carrying on picnics. Like sandwiches, you can combine them with vegetables or sliced meats, along with some condiments like mustard, for added flavor.
  • Vegetable or meat wraps taste wonderful on a picnic. They are easy to prepare, carry and eat. Just wrap some tortillas around any left-over cooked vegetables or sliced and roasted meats; combine them with some chopped onions and lettuce leaves - and your wraps are ready to bite into.
  • Sliced roast chicken, sausage rolls, home-made scotch eggs, boiled eggs (carry some salt and pepper too), picnic ham are some picnic foods which taste delicious when eaten al fresco.
  • You can take along some salad too. Keep it simple. Take those which can be tossed or mixed at home before you leave.  
  • You can carry some dips, but instead of eating them with chips or fries, carry along an assortment of vegetables – radishes, celery sticks, baby courgettes,  baby carrots, asparagus tips, cherry tomatoes, red, green and yellow peppers cut into strips. This will add a bit of healthy crunch.
  • Fruits are an eternal favorite at picnics. Just wash some apples, bananas, oranges, cherries, plums, berries, apricots and toss them into your picnic basket. You can take along other fruits like papaya, melon and watermelon too, but they need some preparation time as they have to be peeled and cut.
  • Dessert. A little sweet ending is always welcome. Pies and cookies come first to mind. Healthy appetites would also appreciate some cakes – walnut cake, coffee cake, fruitcake or even sweet pancakes.
  • Take along something to drink. Iced tea, lemonade, coffee, ginger or root beer, are good options.

Submitted on January 16, 2014