Picnic
Picnic food. I love it, but it has to be able to survive the journey to the park or the beach. Anything that wilts, weeps or needs a plate is out.
Before you get started with browsing all of my picnic-friendly recipes below, you may want to check out my full vegetarian picnic recipes guide.
From there, sturdy salads are always a reliable staple for picnics: my Greek chickpea salad and Asian crunchy cabbage salad both get better after an hour in the box!
For your sides, beet lemon hummus and classic hummus with baked pita pack flat and feed everyone. Don’t overlook poha, either. It travels at room temperature and is genuinely better cool.
Finally, the desserts: apple cinnamon chips and ginger spice cookies are two that will survive a rucksack. Check out more options below.
What are you looking for?
Frequently Asked Questions
Anything that holds its shape and tastes good at room temperature. Grain and bean salads are ideal because the dressing improves them as they sit, so Greek chickpea salad and cauliflower lentil salad are safe bets. Dips travel flat, and classic hummus with baked pita packs into one box. Avoid leafy salads, anything mayonnaise based and anything that has to be eaten warm.
Indian picnic food is built for this. Poha is eaten at room temperature as standard. Za’atar roasted chickpeas and namkeen go in a tin and need nothing. Stuffed dates and trail mix cover the sweet end. Pack chutney separately in a small jar so nothing goes soggy on the way.
Poha is the obvious answer and travels better cold than warm. Apple cinnamon chips and cranberry pistachio biscotti both pack without crumbling. A jar of trail mix covers the gap if you are walking first and eating later. Coffee in a flask, everything else at room temperature.
Most of them, which is the point. Grain salads like quinoa salad with veggies and nuts want a night in the fridge. Dips such as beet lemon hummus are better on day two. Biscotti and cookies keep a week. The only things worth leaving until the morning are cut fruit and anything with avocado in it.
Several. Raw cauliflower salad is gluten free and nut free. Za’atar roasted chickpeas and trail mix are gluten free and dairy free. For keto, stuffed dates are out but roasted nuts and cauliflower based salads work well. Hummus is naturally dairy free, so serve it with cut vegetables rather than pita and it covers gluten free too.