We’ve all been there: you spend all morning getting the family ready for the beach, lathered up with sunscreen, finally make your way to the perfect spot only to realize it’s noon and you have no food in sight. Naturally, you’re hungry instantaneously.
Whether you’re packing a picnic for a beach day with the family, friends or your significant other, we’ve provided a list of tips and tricks for ensuring hunger doesn’t get in the way of your relaxation time.
Tip #1: Stick to finger-friendly food.
Don’t let plates or silverware get in the way. Tasty crowd-pleasers for beach snacks include things like: fruits such as apples or raspberries (avoid strawberries unless you remove the stems first), veggies such as celery sticks or baby carrots with hummus for dipping, chips and salsa (never fails), and even hard-boiled eggs. If you’re really into packing a salad, a great hack is packing them individually in plastic cups, the dressing on the bottom, with lids on the top!
Tip #2: No more mayo.
Sandwiches are a great go-to for your beach picnic. It’s easy to make a bunch of them at once when packing your picnic and they fill you up for a full day at the beach. An easy mistake, however, is putting mayonnaise on your sandwiches which will go bad fairly soon after sitting in the hot sun. Unless you plan to eat them as soon as you get to the beach or have a really fancy cooler, choose a different spread for your sandwiches and wraps.
Tip #3: Choose your cheese wisely.
Cheese and crackers are another great beach snack and it’s easy to continue eating throughout the day. The kids love it too! Be sure to choose softer cheeses such as brie, which will only become more delicious after sitting in the heat. The kids, and you for that matter will want to eat that expensive sharp cheddar or manchego once it’s saturated in oil.
Tip #4: Bottles of frozen water.
So simple yet so many benefits! Place a few bottles of water in your freezer the night before your day at the beach and some the morning of. This way, you’ll have a few very frozen bottles to keep your food cold and still be that refreshing sip at the end of the day. You can also place behind your neck to keep you nice and cool. Sip on your partially frozen bottles at the beginning of your day!
Tip #5. Don’t forget dessert!
While chocolate chip cookies are a common favorite (because they’re oh-so-delicious), you might be better off sticking with brownies which are less likely to melt all over the place. Another genius hack: try making mini cupcakes and put them in an empty egg carton for easy transportation!
Now that you have the basics, don’t forget the baby wipes and remember the corkscrew is key- in fact, you might as well just leave both of these items in your picnic basket for safe measure!
Happy picnicking!
