We’ve all seen those “Instagram worthy” picnic set ups, with beautifully crafted cheese boards, crackers ever so perfectly placed in a creative swirl, fruit perfectly positioned. Yet, for many of us (especially me), when I plan a picnic, I seem to always be faced with wind, sand and sun interfering with my peaceful picnic. Resulting in melted cheese, sandy crackers, spilt drinks…the list goes on. After many attempts to create a stress free and healthier picnic, I think I have finally found some foolproof hacks to make your next picnic virtually worry free!
Here are my 5 tips for a stress free and healthier picnic!
Scout your location
If I am ever planning a picnic, I will always make sure I do a “drive by” of the location. I will look at things like, is the surface flat, how easy is it to get to? Is there parking near by?
Time of day
If in the warmer months: opt to have a picnic either mid morning or late afternoon, this will prevent things from spoiling in the sun.
If in the cooler months: Be sure to pack lots of rugs, pillows and a tarp or garbage bags to lie underneath your rug, so they don’t get wet.
Preparation is key:
Pre pack and make everything before you arrive at your destination. Look at packing things
Remember to bring a garbage bag / box with you so don’t leave anything there.
Pillows and throws! Not just for a pretty photo, but also practical to make your picnic comfy!
Drinks:
Rather than worrying about spilling your drink from plastic cups, pack individual bottles like Natures Way Kombuchas. These delicious drinks are super handy, found in most major supermarkets and are great for gut health!
Healthy & easy to transport recipes
Let’s be real for a minute, the difference between an amazing picnic and a not so amazing picnic is what you eat. Ideally you want to make life as stress free as possible when you get to the location, so opt for recipes that are pre made and have little to no fuss setting up.
Salad Dressings: I love recycling masterfoods herb jars and use them for mini dressing shakers. Pre-make your dressings in these, then shake and dress your salads once you get there to avoid a soggy salad.
Probiotic rich hummus with vegetable sticks: A great little healthy recipe hack, that allows you to have less mess/rubbish and virtually no stress come picnic time! You can find my recipe for my probiotic rich hummus with vegetable sticks here.
Individual chia puddings: I love to make little chia pudding pots ahead of time, these make for a protein packed healthy option that is pre-made and stress free. You can find my recipe for my Coconut Chia Puddings here.
Rice Paper Rolls: A quick and easy alternative to sandwiches.
Healthy pre-packaged protein snacks: I always have things like my Krumballs in my picnic basket, they are a great little snack and of course are delicious!
Hopefully these 5 tips to make your picnic stress free and healthier to help you to create your perfect picnic. Remember to take everything away with you! No one likes a tosser.
