With Nationwide Picnic Week (19-26 June) and Nationwide Picnic Month (July) developing, what higher excuse is there to take pleasure in a picnic – with out it changing into a joyless wash-out?
While we are able to’t management the climate, a little bit of pre-planning can go a great distance in direction of making a vibrant and nutritious picnic unfold – proving that picnic meals doesn’t need to be beige and unhealthy.
Paula Werrett and Belinda Blake, registered dietary remedy practitioners from the Institute for Optimum Vitamin (ION) share their 5 prime ideas for a tasty and more healthy picnic.
Planning is essential
“It may be simple to eat unhealthily at a picnic, if you happen to select a lot of highly-processed meals, however it doesn’t need to be that manner,” says Paula. “With somewhat planning, you may rapidly throw collectively a scrumptious meal to eat exterior. Assume forward to what you want in your picnic hamper to make sure you don’t fall again on the unhealthy sausage rolls and cheese-heavy choices.
“If you’re quick on time, supermarkets can present an incredible number of attention-grabbing and wholesome picnic choices, though this may make issues costlier.
“For ease, I favor a extra Mediterranean really feel picnic with a lot of contemporary meals corresponding to tomatoes, olives and hummus. I like to share meals so take pleasure in picnics the place everybody brings a dish.”
Wholesome choices
On the subject of deciding on your picnic goodies, Belinda suggests attempting these simple wholesome choices:
- Veggie sticks or crudités of carrots, celery, cucumber, cherry tomatoes and radishes, which will be paired with a scrumptious dip of home-made hummus or guacamole.
- Chilly, cooked salmon is a wholesome omega-rich possibility that goes completely with a lot of freshly made salads.
- Strive falafels or meat koftas as a substitute of pork pies and sausage rolls.
- Spanish omelette, reduce into slices with salad, is a lighter different to quiche.
- A tasty Greek salad of feta, orange and beetroot with a sprinkling of oregano will provide you with a Mediterranean second in seconds!
- For dessert, contemporary fruit corresponding to strawberries, blackberries, raspberries or chopped apple are scrumptious with pure yogurt and a sprinkling of chia seeds.
Keep chilled
Within the sizzling summer time climate it’s vital to maintain the meals and the picnic-goers cool! Wrap picnic meals properly and use ice packs to maintain meals contemporary and funky.
It’s additionally vital to remain hydrated and keep in mind that we are able to mistake thirst for starvation. An awesome tip is to freeze bottles of water the evening earlier than – not utterly full, so to permit room for enlargement because the water freezes. Not solely will they hold you cool if it’s sizzling but in addition act as an ice pack to maintain any meals contemporary for longer.
Add lemon or lime wedges to water to provide it a zesty zing and keep away from sweetened fizzy drinks, which include giant quantities of sugar.
Savvy swaps
To maintain your picnic basket as wholesome as potential, right here as some savvy swap concepts:
- Should you’re making sandwiches, keep away from white bread and as a substitute go for one thing wholegrain full of wholesome seeds.
- Mix fibre-rich meals with protein to maintain you fuller for longer.
- Swap Pimms for glowing water with mint, lemon and contemporary berries – so tasty you received’t miss the hit of alcohol!
Nature’s larder
When you’re out having fun with your picnic the countryside, it’s the excellent alternative to seek out just a few tasty additions to your unfold by foraging. Should you’re new to foraging and unsure what to look out for, Belinda shares her prime suggestions for the season:
- Garlic Mustard
- Nettle
- Dandelion
- Cleavers
- Ransoms (wild garlic)
- Elderflower (late Could)
Belinda says: “The spring and summer time months are a stupendous time of yr to forage. It’s a time full of hope and expectancy and this yr greater than ever, we are going to all really feel the advantages of being out within the nice outside and feeling the constructive advantages of nature and foraging on our well being and wellbeing. Why not see if there are any foraging lessons close to the place you reside or, alternatively, put money into a superb wild plant identification information to assist get you going and decide safely?”
At all times examine the Foraging Code for full particulars on protected foraging and to make sure you adjust to the legislation
