Picnics are undeniably one of the best things about summer.
Fortunately you and your family can safely partake in this fun activity if you’re still maintaining physical distancing practices.
I think of building a picnic menu in the same I would any meal, with less fuss and more portability in mind. Here are some simple family-friendly ways to incorporate more nutrition into your picnic baskets this summer!
Homemade dips or spreads
These are a wonderful way to pack in a lot of nutrition. Look for recipes that combine vegetables, nuts, herbs, and spices. Use them in a wrap with collards, mound on top of avocado, cucumber, or tomato slices, scooped into a salad or served alongside crackers or sourdough
Local Product Spotlight
Saman Bakery is a local North Shore-based small business that produces incredible macaroons that are super yummy, perfect for a picnic (they’re stable at room temp) and packed with sweetness! As well, Saman Bakery produces Artisan Style Crackers featuring Pumpkin, Almond and Sunflower varieties. Paired them with a local cheese for a perfect cheese and crackers snack down at the beach.
Fermented foods
Fermented foods offer probiotics, protecting the body’s microbiome and supporting the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut. Look for labels that include live cultures in their ingredients list. Pickles, sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, and sourdough are all great examples of these nutrient rich foods
Local Product Spotlight
Try Karthein's Organic Sauerkraut, an unpasteurized (raw cultured) sauerkraut that contains naturally occurring digestive enzymes and beneficial probiotic bacteria. The product was created by founder Joe Karthein on his small organic farm in B.C. West Kootenay region. Try the Simple, Traditional, or Carrots & Ginger sauerkraut varieties.
Seasonal organic fruit
Keep in mind, the fresher the fruit, the more nutrients and antioxidants it will contain. Talk to your grocer to see what’s in season.
Make it fun
-Use toothpicks to make mini kebabs – kids love these
-Make sandwiches and use cookie cutters to make them into fun shapes
-Forget slicing your melon. Bring spoons to eat it right from the skin
-Blackberries are everywhere in summer – bring a container and gather some en route to the park
The best picnics don’t require a lot of work or planning. Give yourself and your family a break from the usual cooking and cleaning routine. Make your dip ahead of time, pack your snacks and enjoy eating your dinner in the warm summer air.
Shelby Lewis is a certified nutritional practitioner working with the Nutrition Team at Choices Markets. She specializes in women’s health, pediatrics and plant-based diets. She feels that while life can be complicated, what you put in your body doesn’t have to be. Through education-based conversations, she helps people navigate conflicting information in the wellness space so that instead of feeling overwhelmed, people can get excited about the connection between food and health. When she’s not in the kitchen or on her yoga mat, you can find her at her community garden, cycling or tucked into a coffee shop with her family.
This article originally appeared in the Explore the Shore feature of the July 15, 2020 North Shore News
