How to Pack for a Healthy Picnic

July is National Picnic Month, although that’s hard to believe on super-hot Houston summer days. Still, there are moments when you can get outside and enjoy some time with friends or family – usually in a covered area! Take some time this month to get outside, and pack a healthy picnic lunch with these tips.

Plan What You’ll Need for a Healthy Picnic

If it’s just a few of you, it’s much easier to pack a healthy picnic lunch or dinner. All too often, I’ve gotten carried away: crackers, cheese, grapes, sandwiches, chips, salads, cookies… just too much that we end up having to cart back. So now I figure out what we’ll actually need, which is usually one sandwich per person, plus a salad of some sort – and treats.

Healthy Sandwich Ideas

When I’m making sandwiches for grown-ups (kids are a different story!), I try to make them as appetizing as possible. Here are some ideas for healthy sandwiches:

• Use whole-grain or sprouted grain bread
• Don’t be stingy with veggies. Sliced cucumbers and tomatoes are excellent in a sandwich – and help keep you hydrated.
• Try wraps with regular-sized wheat tortillas. You can add sliced chicken, tomato, and avocado. And it all stays neatly in the tortilla.

Salads Without the Mayo

For obvious reasons, mayonnaise and healthy picnic lunches don’t mix. And mayonnaise has a tendency to go bad very quickly. Instead, I asked some of my amazing blogging friends for some healthy salad recipes you can make and bring with you:

The Fit Cookie’s Classic Greek Salad (Dairy-Free & Low Carb!)

The Fit Fork’s Fiesta Mexican Roasted Corn Salad

The Fit Fork’s Fiesta Five-Veggie Potato Salad

Confessions of a Mother Runner’s Grilled Hawaiian Pasta Salad

Carmy’s Cold Chicken Spinach Salad

Running with Perseverance’s Easy Summer Salads (Three to choose from!)

Get Active!

No healthy picnic is complete without a little activity! Bring a Frisbee and toss it around. Get a packable cornhole set, or go for a walk in the park. You did have your picnic in a park, right?

Don’t forget your sunscreen (and bug spray) – and go enjoy the outdoors this summer.