This Month’s Healthy Bite: What is your favorite recipe to bring on a picnic?

Posted by Matt on July 31st, 2010 at 09:01am

For the July version of This Month’s Healthy Bite, we asked, “What is your favorite recipe to bring on a picnic?” We got some great answers, from cookies and brownie bites to pasta salad, sandwiches and more. Check them out:

From Carla, The Year of the Vegan

For picnics I like to go for simple, so things like cookies always seem to be my contribution. Fast and easy to make, with things that can be found in the kitchen already, and not needing a lot of time in the heat of a kitchen on a hot picnic ready day!  These aren’t the healthiest of cookies (they are cookies after all) but they are tasty, and kid approved!!

From Char, Raising a Healthy Family

It’s a super easy question… http://raisingahealthyfamily.com/large-batch-pasta-salad-recipe/

From Erica, My Colombian Recipes

This is my favorite dish to bring to a picnic: Ensalada Rusa or Russian Salad is a popular dish in Colombia and other Latin American countries. I remember eating this delicious potato salad as a side dish to Pernil de Cerdo (Roasted Pork Leg or Ham), at almost every party my family ever had in Colombia.

From Gina, Gina’s Weight Watcher Recipes

My favorite recipe that I always get asked to bring to all picnics is my Macaroni and Tomato Salad. I keep it light using high fiber pasta, low fat mayonnaise and lots of tomatoes. Also great if you add peppers, zucchini and cucumbers.

From Kirbie, Kirbie’s Cravings

My favorite recipe to bring to picnics is deviled potatoes. I blogged about them here: http://www.kirbiecravings.com/2009/09/deviled-potatoes.html

From Chiara, The Wandering Cook

I only started loving picnics when I was in my early twenties and moved to Florida, about ten years ago. The reason why I started liking them so much was because we started having a Sunday picnic on the boat each week. My favorite dish to bring on such picnics quickly became an Italian-style pasta salad, Italian because it features NO MAYO. It’s an easy, fresh recipe made with pasta, cherry tomatoes, shredded basil, cubes of fresh mozzarella, capers and black olives, all seasoned with a mixture of salt, crushed red pepper, olive oil and lemon juice.

From Sara, Sprouted Kitchen

Here is a link to a favorite picnic salad.I like it bc you can make ahead and it doesn’t get soggy. Keep the veg mix in a tupperware, and the lettuce leaves on the side in a bag with a moist paper towel so they stay crisp! http://sproutedkitchen.com/?p=1487

From Gwen, Bunky Cooks

One of the easiest and healthiest dishes to bring to a picnic is my Crunchy Fruit and Wild Rice Salad.  This is always a big hit and it is chock full of all sorts of crunchy good for you ingredient!.  I like that it does not have any mayonnaise in the dressing since the temperatures have been so hot this Summer.  Be sure to make some extra for yourself because it disappears quickly!

From Karen, Muffin Fixation

A picnic wouldn’t be a picnic for my son with two things: deviled eggs and brownie bites! Since most people know how to make deviled eggs, here’s our recipe for Brownie Bites:
Ingredients

• 1/4 cup melted margarine
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 1/2 Tablespoons baking cocoa
• 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
• 20g semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Dump everything but the chips in a bowl. Mix.
3. Fill 12 mini muffin cups. Top each one with 3 chocolate chips.
4. Bake for 18 minutes.
5. Try not to devour them within an hour!

From Stella, The Witchy Kitchen

My favorite recipe to bring on a summer picnic is what we call a ‘charugula sandwich’. A charugula consists of fresh buffalo or cow’s milk mozzarella, organic arugula and garlic with a touch of olive oil, salt & pepper all layered on a crusty baguette. It is the perfect, healthful food to eat outdoors and it travels quite well. Both vegetarians and carnivores always seem to love this sandwich to boot!

From Beth, Budget Bytes

I like picnic classics, like potato salad.  In fact, I make one that is titled Picnic Potato salad because it is nice and light which is perfect for the summer heat, just be sure to keep the dish cool to avoid food safety issues.  Here is the recipe: http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/2009/08/picnic-potato-salad-593-recipe-074.html I also love to mix up a fresh fruit salad with whatever is in season or selling for a good price.  Fresh, cold fruit is so refreshing on a hot summer day!

Thanks to everyone for all the fun responses!

Answer the next This Month’s Healthy Bite question: How do you incorporate summer fruit into your cooking? Email us your answer or just simply comment on this blog post, and we’ll publish your answers and link to your blog at the end of the month. Got some blogger friends who would like us to link to them too? Ask them to answer This Month’s Healthy Bite too!

Tags: food, healthy eating, Healthy Recipes, home cooking, what to eat

Under Healthy Recipes Tags: food, healthy eating, Healthy Recipes, home cooking, what to eat