Family Picnic Food Ideas

Plastic containers with lids make food transportation easier.

"Simple fare, but lots of it, is better than anything too rich," according to The Picnic Site, which points out that delicate flavors are sometimes lost when eaten outside and that people seem to develop a large appetite when eating in the open air. If you're short on time, it is easy to put together a picnic from ready-made supermarket pasta dishes, cold meats, breads and pastries. If you have more time for preparation, you can make up your own salads and sandwiches for a more economical meal.

Traditional Picnic

Many people remember childhood picnics with limp cucumber, sweaty cheese and white-bread sandwiches, washed down with weak juice. Fortunately, we now have wider food choices. Reinvent the traditional picnic with some filled bread rolls or sandwiches. Tuna, mayo and sweet corn make a moist, tasty filling, as does grated cheddar cheese, mayo and chopped spring onion. Many people enjoy a quality ham and speciality pickle sandwich. Choose two or three fillings and cook up some cocktail sausages with a little oil and a four-to-one honey mustard mix--sticky, so don't forget the napkins. Bring along some chips and mixed dressed salad. Apple pies or jam tarts and cold fruit drinks complete your traditional-style picnic.

Healthy Options

With the kids playing outside, it's a shame to spoil the health benefits. For healthier picnic options, use low-fat spreads, sauces and salad dressings. Instead of cocktail sausages and chips, pack hard-boiled eggs, carrot sticks and celery as extra finger food; bring sea salt for flavor. Lower-calorie sandwich fillings include low-fat cream cheese, pastrami and cherry tomato, as well as egg salad and chopped tomato. To make a healthy cold pasta dish, add tuna, red kidney beans and sweet corn to cold pasta and lightly cover with an olive oil, garlic and vinegar dressing. Watermelon for dessert and sugar-free drinks or mineral water complete the picnic.

Barbecue Food

With the availability of disposable barbecues, it's now possible to add some hot food choices to your picnic: small lamb chops, chicken drumsticks, sausages and burgers, along with a selection of rolls, butter and sauces. Corn on the cob, barbecued, held between two skewers and covered with butter, is a delicious starter--best cooked before the meat. Hummus and pita bread for dipping is a good side dish. Slice bananas open with the skins still on and stuff them with marshmallows or chocolate; cover them with foil and bring them for a great dessert. Fizzy drinks for the kids go well with barbecue food.

Supermarket Dash

Supermarkets sell a wide choice of wraps and sandwiches, as well as a variety of antipasto, pastries and pies (often miniature selections, which is ideal). Get cold meats and cheeses from the deli counter. Buy fresh French bread, butter and dips, Danish pastries or Belgium buns for dessert, and cold drinks. You've now got a lazy picnic that you can pick up on your way, even for spur-of-the-moment picnics.

Tags: cocktail sausages, cold meats, cold pasta, food choices, Many people