Here’s The Perfect Picnic For Your Lifestyle

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It’s summertime and that means we can finally sprawl out on the sand or the grass with a good book, great company and a picnic basket full of snacks. It’s time for baguette fights (just imagine Mary Kate and Ashley in their Passport to Paris prime) and flowing amounts of rosé. It’s tempting to grab a quick bite from a food truck, but there’s just something classy about a stocked picnic basket, a cozy blanket and copious amounts of sangria. Whether you’re flying solo, hanging with a group of friends or planning for a romantic rendezvous, we got you covered. Pack the perfect picnic basket for your lifestyle.

Health Conscious 

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For the fully committed health-conscious eater (even though we’re all trying) start with an Israeli salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, minced onion, parsley, olive oil and lemon juice. You could cut up pieces of sourdough bread to make mini avocado toasts and sprinkle grilled Mexican corn on top. For a healthy potato salad with an apple cider vinegar and whole grain mustard sauce, try this recipe from Bon Appetit.

Caprese skewers with tomato, basil, mozzarella and balsamic are always a winner. For a protein, you could do something simple like a grilled chicken, Caesar and avocado wrap. For dessert, raspberry, lemon chia seed pudding or oat-free hazelnut cacao truffles. Snack on some Snapea Crisps, cherries, homemade pita chips with salsa or hummus. For drinks, bring a few bottles of kombucha, ginger-lemon tea or coconut water.

Indulgent 

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Start off your picnic with a variety of cheeses. Go for a creamy brie, manchego, smoked gouda or goat cheese. Get a baguette or a fresh loaf from your local farmer’s market. Make a few hearty banh mi sandwiches for protein-packed snacks. You could make pasta dishes that taste just as good cold like bucatini with butter-roasted tomato sauce or open-face flank steak sandwiches with parmesan dressing.

Some types of risotto don’t have to be eaten right away. Try making arborio rice with pesto, peas, pine nuts and spices. Stuffed mushrooms are the perfect bite-sized snack for a picnic. If you’re really feeling indulgent, bake a quiche lorraine for the whole crew. For dessert, nothing beats homemade chocolate chip cookies or a bunch of cannolis from your local Italian bakery. Grab a red wine to wash it all down.

Carnivore 

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For the meat lovers, start off your meal with prosciutto-wrapped melon. Depending on how messy you’re trying to get, you could make ribs or chicken wings for the picnic. Make a batch of Korean fried chicken wings or Chinese-style, honey and hoisin sticky ribs and don’t forget the napkins. For something a little lighter, there’s a grilled skirt steak salad with caramelized onions, feta and arugula.

Pork belly buns are always a crowd pleaser. For a refreshing break from protein, make a kimchi slaw or a light white cabbage slaw with Greek yogurt. For a smoky vegetable that’ll go with BBQ, try grilled carrots with cumin-serrano yogurt. Make a caramel latte pie for dessert or espresso brownies. Red wine or whiskey would go really well with your meat-centric picnic.

Sweet Tooth

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Even the biggest of sweets lovers out there need to eat savory once in a while. Start off your picnic with a fig and honey goat cheese tart. Make an easy dish that everyone can snack on like a tropical fruit salad with pineapple, mango, papaya and kiwi. Basically, anything with caramelized onions will be a hit. You could make slow cooker pork sliders with a brown sugar and spice rub. For those who can’t stay away from peanut butter, cold peanut-sesame noodles are always a hit.

Since sweet and spicy go so well together, a healthy curried chicken salad with greek yogurt and red grapes could be the move. Place it between some pita bread for an easy sandwich. When it comes time for dessert, you’ll want something that’s decadent and easy to carry around. These mini desserts, like mini chocolate caramel cheesecakes and Nutella brownie truffle bites, are perfect. Also, lemon-themed desserts are just right for summertime. Make some white peach sangria ahead of time and divide it into individual bottles for your basket.

Vegan

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Vegan cheeses can be almost as satisfying as the real thing when you have vegan dairy companies making varieties like truffle, serrano pepper and Herbs De Provence. Get yourself some pita chips and have a dairy-free cheese party for starters. You’ll want to make these rainbow spring rolls with a ginger-peanut dipping sauce to start. If you’re feeling extra motivated, whip up a batch of easy Chinese scallion pancakes and pack some soy sauce for dipping. For a heartier snack, try making spicy chickpea veggie burgers or a tempeh Reuben sandwich.

Since zucchini noodles are always a success, an Asian zucchini noodle salad is light, refreshing and easy. A sesame-ginger and cucumber soba noodle (buckwheat noodle) salad is just as simple. The vegan dessert options are flowing. Make a vegan peach crumble coffee cake, peanut butter chocolate stout cupcakes or chocolate coconut bars. Chase your meal with kombucha, a nice jug of cold brew, a coconut milk latte or an iced Moroccan mint tea.

It’s time to hit the market and plan your next picnic!