How to plan a nutritious and safe picnic

At the first sign of warm summer days and longer evenings who doesn’t love to pack a picnic and head into the country or to the beach? But how can you pack a nutritious picnic which won’t leave you lacking in energy or with an upset tummy? Follow these tips to find out how.

Whether you are packing a picnic or eating al fresco in the garden, food which will be outside for several hours should not wilt, melt or spoil easily in the heat. Some good choices include fresh firm vegetables (raw or cooked), chopped fruit, whole grains, pasta salad or beans.

Sadly the incidence of foodborne illnesses tend to spike in the summer. This is due to harmful bacteria thriving in warm humid temperatures which can double in number in 20 minutes and even faster in very warm temperatures above 30C.

Another risk is preparing food with unwashed hands so remember to take your hand sanitiser to use before and after eating, after using the toilet, handling pets or chaning a nappy!

Safer foods include non-perishable foods such as firm vegetables (raw or cooked), chopped fruit, whole grains, pasta salad or beans. Some ideas to incorporate these in your picnic include:

Vegetable kebabs using raw or lightly grilled courgette, squash, peppers, cherry tomatoes or mushrooms.

Heat friendly dips such as tomato salsa, pesto, hummus, bean dip (see some ideas here Healthy nourishing recipes — Nourish from within)

Swap crisps for crunchy Roasted Chickpeas with your choice of seasoning

Sliced or chopped fruit sprinkled with lemon or lime juice

Try using plant protein in place of meat as these are more tolerant of warmer temperatures eg beans, nuts, seeds, tofu or tempeh.

Avoid soft, high moisture cheeses and instead opt for firm, lower moisture cheeses such as cheddar or parmigiana.

If you are bringing perishable foods remember that any food left at room temperature for more than 2 hours should be thrown away. This includes any foods containing dairy (eg sour cream dips) or mayonnaise (eg potato salad or coleslaw)

Adding seasoning to picnic foods also helps to keep food fresh. Some herbs, such as garlic, onion, oregano, thyme & rosemary have been shown to contain antimicrobial properties which can help prevent the growth of and even kill some bacteria including strains of E. coli, salmonella and streptococcus. But DON’T rely on these to keep you safe - do follow the tips above.

And don’t forget to HYDRATE. I know it is heavy but please remember to take plenty of water with you in addition to any alcoholic beverages you choose.

I hope you enjoy many al fresco eating opportunities this summer and find some inspiration for nutritious and safe food options above and in the recipe section on my website Healthy nourishing recipes — Nourish from within.