Four Simple Solutions For Creating A Healthy Picnic
Picnics can be a great way to spend some quality time with family but the food you take can be a major diet buster. How you can you have a tasty picnic that is nutritious and interesting enough to satisfy everyone? The junk food extravaganza with chips and soda are not going to cut it and neither is heading to the nearest fast food place for greasy fried chicken and French fries. There are healthy solutions that are easy to prepare and pack in a picnic.
The key to a great picnic is packing foods that you can eat entirely with your hands which make the possibilities almost endless! Here are some great ideas for your nutritious picnic with the family:
1. Drink Options – Ban the sodas and sugary drinks like punch and opt for icy cold bottles of water, the ultimate health drink. 100% fruit juices are fine but are loaded with calories that you should best consume through food rather than drink. Limit these juices and go for the water. You can add some flavor by squeezing some lemon or lime in your water. Freeze small bottles of milk for the kids and pop them in the cooler before your outing. By the time you all are ready to eat, it will be defrosted!
2. Sandwiches – White bread and bologna are a thing of the past with the vast selection of whole wheat rolls, flat breads, pita bread pockets and of course, multi-grain tortillas. Who said you had to have a traditional sandwich? Avoid processed, prepackages meats in favor of tuna or leftover meat from dinner such as steak, turkey or chicken breast. Use lettuce and plenty of other veggies to create some heft to your creation whether it is a tortilla sandwich wrap or something assembled on healthy bread with flaxseed or other grains. (Peanut butter is acceptable; however keep in mind it is high in fat and should be used sparingly.)
3. Vegetables – Many vegetables are easily portable and with the right dip, you could almost make it a whole meal. Carrots, celery, cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices, broccoli, cauliflower, sugar snap peas and even zucchini or squash slices are great options. The dip should be of the non-fat variety so avoid processed pre-made dips in the dairy case. Instead, concoct your own from plain yogurt or even the fat-free vegetarian refried beans along with a mixture of spices. Homemade salsa or even hummus is also clear winners.
4. Fruit – Fruit is not only full of vitamins and minerals and everything else healthy but it is also portable and refreshing. Watermelon or cantaloupe chunks cool you off on a hot summer day. Apples, grapes and bananas are the most portable but virtually anything in season can be washed, cut and put in plastic bags for storage.
The best part about all of these nutritious options for your picnic is that they will not weigh you down, unlike the processed or fast food options. Who wants to feel miserable on a hot summer's day feeling full when you could be playing ball or Frisbee with the family after your picnic?
