5 Healthy Foods to Pack for a Picnic

This summer is a perfect time to take a picnic – either with your family, your kids, your significant other or even solo. Researchers have just found that one of the best and most effective ways to alleviate stress is to simply go to a park and have a picnic. And when you are choosing the food to bring on your picnic it is important to keep in mind some healthful options. You don’t want to hike a long ways just to open your picnic baskets to find fast food or snacks that are high in sugar and fat content – it would defeat the purpose entirely. Here are 5 healthy foods to pack for a picnic.

1. Organic peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Have you ever eaten organic, fresh peanut butter? It’s delicious and very good for you. The peanut butter is rich in nutrients and will give you loads of energy. Organic peanut butter, ground directly from the peanuts, is much better than factory made peanut butter, which is full of chemicals and an unnecessary fat content. The same goes for the jelly – just choose an option that is fresh or organic. You also want to make sure that the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are prepared on fresh bread that isn’t bleached white.
2. Strawberries. The summer is a perfect season for strawberries and it makes a perfect snack for a hike or picnic. It is actually amazing what kind of nutritional punch you’ll get from this little red, juicy fruit. It is rich in fiber and low in calories, full of antioxidants, has anti-inflammatory properties and can even help your eyesight. Why wouldn’t you pack strawberries in your picnic basket?
3. Raw vegetables. Bring a few containers of yummy, crunchy, raw vegetables, like carrots, asparagus, tomatoes or even celery. You could also get creative with the celery and make the classic picnic snack “ants on a log.” All you have to do is fill the celery with rich, creamy peanut butter and then place a few raisins, which look just like ants.
4. Lean chicken sandwiches. In fact, any kind of sandwich containing lean meat will make a great, healthy lunch for your picnic. Chicken is the best option, because it is the most lean, but you can also choose other options, like turkey or another low fat, healthy deli meat. The best part about chicken sandwiches is the high protein count, which will keep you energized throughout your entire hike
5. Lastly, pack yourself a delicious salad slathered with olive oil, spices and other light toppings. A nice green leafy salad will make a great addition to any picnic basket. Make sure that you do not use a mayonnaise based dressing, because mayonnaise can go bad very fast and can be a carrier for food borne illnesses and can actually be a medium for bacteria growth. The last thing you want on your fun hike and picnic is to get food poisoning. However, if you make the right, healthful choices, you should feel both energized and motivated.