Picnicking is a great way to make the most of a day out in nature. And, since most picnicking happens during the warmer weather months, it’s important to take this into consideration when packing food and snacks for your outing – especially if you’ll be hiking to your picnic destination. You’ll have more freedom with your choices if you use ice packs to keep perishables cold.

While a classic, wicker picnic basket and checkered blanket can add a lot to the experience and provide for some great social media photos, those aren’t necessary to have an enjoyable picnic and shouldn’t be a deterrent. What really matters is the company and the delicious food!

Fruit – watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, grapes, blueberries, blackberries, apples

→ Cut up fresh fruit ahead of time to make fun fruit kabobs. They’ll be easy to eat and make your picnic a little fancy~

Vegetables – carrots, celery sticks, cherry, grape tomatoes, cucumbers

Snacks – trail mix, nuts, granola, pretzels, cheese, sausage

→ Bring along a muffin pan to hold snacks, veggies and dip

Desserts – cheesecake, pie, fruit bars, cake

Drinks – water, juice, sweet tea, lemonade, wine 

Salads & Sides – pasta salad, fruit salad, potato salad, deviled eggs, chips

Entrees – club sandwiches, roll-ups or pinwheel sandwiches, sub sandwiches, fried chicken