Trying to pick out what would be the best food for picnics would depend on what you consider a picnic. Some people will refer to any type of outdoor meal as a picnic while others only think in terms of hiking off into the woods with a picnic basket.
Choosing the best food for picnics will depend also on whether or not you will have access to a grill or a fire where you can cook your food. Obviously, if you can’t cook your food you will have to limit your food choices to already cooked foods such as sandwiches or pre made chicken.
Packing simple things like some cheese, crackers and wine can make for a very relaxing and romantic time. If you are taking the whole family you may want to include a lot more varieties of foods and a lot of beverages.
And, as I said above, if you have access to a grill or a fire where you can prepare food you will have more variety in the types of foods you take along. Things like hotdogs, hamburgers, steaks, or brats are all good options if grilling is available at your favorite picnic spot.
Even if you don’t have access to a grill at your location, you can always bring your own. Today there is a wide variety of grills that are quite compact and can easily be taken along.
Of course, if you are going to be hiking long distances you may not want to have to take so much stuff with you, it will get heavy after a while, but a short jaunt into the woods might not be too much of an effort.
One very important thing to remember is that you have to keep your food safe. Keep warm food warm and cold food cold. Taking along a cooler is the best way to ensure the safety of your food.
Many people think that a picnic staple, potato salad, is dangerous to take outdoors because it can make people sick. The truth is that as long as you don’t leave it sitting in the hot sun, but rather keep it cool in a cooler, it can be perfectly safe. Common sense will protect you and your family and ensure that your picnic is a happy experience.
There really is no right or wrong when it comes time to packing your picnic basket. Just take a few things into consideration:
1. The number of people you need to provide food for.
2. How the food needs to be prepared.
3. How the food needs to be stored.
Taking all this into account will help you pack the perfect picnic basket for your crew, even if that crew is only the two of you.
Really, the best food for picnics is the food that you and whoever is going on the picnic with you, likes to eat. Just make sure that if you want to take food that needs to be cooked that you take the weight of the cooler and the grill as well as the distance you have to walk, into consideration before you finalize your plans.