How To Make The Ultimate Beach-Proof Picnic

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Picnics on the beach are all fun and games until a giant gust of wind sends sand right into your hummus and ruins the day. However, you can feast at the shore without crunching on grains of salty sand all day. It’s all about packing wisely. Here’s how to make the ultimate beach-proof picnic.

Israeli Salad

A fresh Israeli breakfast salad is an easy snack to bring to the beach. Just chop up some cucumber, tomato, onion and bell pepper. Since there’s no dairy, you know it’ll hold up for your long day outdoors. Here’s a simple recipe for an Israeli salad that’s made with Persian cucumbers, ripe tomatoes, minced onion, fresh parsley, olive oil, lemon juice and salt.

Dijon Roasted Potatoes

The best part about mixing potatoes with any kind of vinaigrette is that the potatoes will only get tastier as they marinate. The longer it hangs out, the more the potatoes will absorb all of those fresh flavors from the vinaigrette. And you won’t have to stress about the Dijon getting all weird and funky in the heat. Here’s a recipe for a roasted potato salad with a creamy Dijon vinaigrette that’s perfect for the beach.

Summer Rolls

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If you’ve ever tried summer rolls, you know how refreshing they are. You get all of those veggies and protein wrapped inside of translucently thin rice paper. Pair a few summer rolls alongside a hard cider, light beer or white wine. Everything is rolled up tightly in a summer roll, so you can eat it in three or four bites and continue on with your beach day without a huge mess on your hands. Carry around the sweet and tangy dipping sauce in a closed pint container for easy dipping.

Pickled Vegetables

Crunchy pickled vegetables are a great call for the beach. With no dairy involved, you won’t have to worry about anything separating and you can eat those pickled vegetables in one or two bites. The easier your beach food is to eat, the shorter amount of time it has to be exposed to those sandy conditions. Go with a bunch of hot peppers, juicy dill pickles or a pint of kimchi for a snack.

Fruit Salsa

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Juicy, sweet and tangy are key flavors to bring to the beach. What’s the best way to achieve all of these things in one dish? A fruity salsa. Whether it’s grilled corn and peach salsa, blood orange salsa or a watermelon and red onion salsa, you can’t go wrong. Pack everyone an individual pint container and you’ll have the ultimate lounging snack on your hands.

Wraps

Out of all of the sandwiches, wraps are your best bet for a beach picnic. You don’t want to worry about everything falling out when you go to take a bite. There’s nothing worse than a slice of fresh farmer’s market mozzarella sliding out of the sandwich and straight into the sand. You can’t come back from that. For wrap inspiration, check out this list of vegetarian wraps that’ll hold up for your beach picnic.

Frozen Yogurt

Pull those yogurt containers out of the back of your freezer and naturally defrost your frozen yogurt at the beach. By the time you’re ready for dessert, it’ll be soft and creamy enough to dig in. (Plus, it’ll keep everything else cool in the process.)

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