Are you looking for new picnic food ideas for your summer outing? Picnic foods need to be tasty, portable, and resistant to spoiling, and finding recipes that meet these requirements is challenging.

Finger foods are always a good choice for your picnic menu, but may not provide enough variety for more mature tastes. To keep you picnic food ideas fresh and healthy, try out a few of these picnic food ideas for your next summer outing.

Picnic Food Ideas

*Try packing fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole chesses for a fresher picnic menu. You can tuck a small cutting board and a sharp knife to prepare your foods on the spot.

*Avoid packing any picnic foods that contain mayonnaise, eggs, or dairy products to avoid the risk of food poisoning. Meats and fish should also be used with caution. If you include meat on your picnic menu, be sure to keep it cool and out of the sun.

*Instead of coleslaw, try shredded broccoli with carrots and a light salad dressing.

*Mixed nuts make great alternative picnic finger foods.

*Salsa and tortilla chips are safer, and healthier, than dairy-based dips.

*A few alternatives to the traditional sliced bread sandwich are wraps, bread pouches, croissants, bagels, and crackers. You can stuff these sliced bread alternatives with your favorite veggies or sandwich ingredients.

*Summer fruits and vegetables are great picnic items. Zucchini, squash, tomatoes, watermelon, strawberries, peaches, pears, and grapes are perfect for picnic totes.

*For a lighter picnic menu, replace that traditional fried chicken with cold chicken strips tossed in Italian dressing or your favorite barbeque sauce. You can serve the chicken on bread, pita wraps, or over cold pasta.

*Picnic beverages should be refreshing if you plan to spend time in the sun. Be sure to check if alcoholic beverages are prohibited near your chosen picnic destination before packing a bottle of wine or your favorite beer. Always include bottled water for extra hydration during your outdoor activities.

*For a little added twist, include fresh lemon slices, lime wedges, and peppermint sprigs to flavor your iced tea or water.

* Picnic food ideas for a romantic picnic could include finger foods, like whole strawberries, cheese chunks, and sliced French bread. Avoid recipes that call for broccoli, beans, garlic, or onions to reduce unpleasant odors during your romantic picnic. Include your sweetheart’s favorite foods and don’t forget to pack something sweet for dessert.

*For a picnic with kids, pack individual ingredients and allow kids to prepare their own picnic creations. Sandwich ingredients, mix-your-own fruit and veggie salads, individual cold pizzas, and decorated deserts are always a hit with kids.

Creating your own picnic food ideas allows you to incorporate your favorite foods into your picnic menu. Picnic food ideas should be fun, tasty, and easy to transport without spoiling.

Be sure to pack a few plastic bags to cart home the leftovers, and pack a few extra crackers to feed the ducks, birds, and squirrels that are may invite themselves to your picnic.

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This entry was posted on Monday, August 18th, 2008 at 5:00 pm and is filed under Party Planning. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.