Top tips for a healthy picnic

Picnics are a great way to see friends and family outside, moving lunch to the backyard or the park.

Packing a healthy picnic doesn’t mean having a boring picnic – check out these top ideas for the perfect picnic.

Sensational sandwiches

Sandwiches are standard picnic fare, but get creative. Try a stuffed pita bread like our Mediterranean vegie pita, filled rolls like our simple tuna roll or an avocado, chicken and salad wrap. You can make them before you go or bring along different types of bread and fillings and everyone can build their own masterpiece.

Gourmet grazing selection

Sometimes a picnic is just about grazing, especially if there are kids and plenty of activities. Snacks can be as simple as guacamole, crackers and vegie sticks or if you have time to bake, carrot and zucchini savoury muffins, mini crustless chicken quiches or our breakfast muffin cups. Try falafels, Thai chicken meatballs or dolmades.

Spectacular salads

Salads are perfect for picnics. Try more substantial ones that are easier to transport like a chicken couscous salad or a delicious pasta salad with tomatoes, olives and a pesto dressing. Green leafy salads may not travel well so try our Nicoise salad, roasted vegetable salad or our Indian salad. For a hero salad you can’t go past our soy and ginger chicken noodle salad. You can make it vegetarian by replacing the chicken with some tofu.

Picnic tip: pack the dressing separately in a leak proof container and dress just before serving.

Delectable desserts

Finish your picnic with these easy to transport dessert ideas that look good and taste amazing too!  Try packing individual desserts in jars like these fruit salad parfaits or make some bliss balls or fruit skewers. Even easier – pack a container of cut up fruit or  a watermelon or rockmelon to cut up.

Keep it cool!

Being outside means you need to be careful about keeping your food cool, not only to maintain freshness and quality, but also to keep the food safe from harmful bugs that can cause food poisoning.  Here are our top tips:

• Keep food cold – use cooler bags and make sure you have plenty of ice packs or freeze water bottles.
• Only take food out of the cooler bag when you are ready to eat.
• Keep insects off food by covering with a net or tea towel.
• Make sure hands are clean before you start serving or eating.
• Don’t pack too much food – you’ll need to throw away any leftovers that have been out of the fridge for longer than 4 hours.

Don’t to forget to pack:

✔ A bread knife and cutting board

✔ Cutlery and plates

✔ Serviettes

✔ A picnic blanket, chairs or cushions

✔ Hand sanitiser or wipes

✔ A hat and sunscreen

✔ Cold water to drink

© Cancer Council NSW 2024 Head Office Address: 153 Dowling Street, Woolloomooloo NSW 2011. Cancer Council NSW is registered with the Australian Taxation Office as an Income Tax Exempt Charity: Charitable Fundraising Authority No. 18521.

Some images on this site have been supplied by Cancer Council Western Australia's Crunch & Sip website