The Best Foods to Pack for Your Next Picnic

Summer is the best time to enjoy dining al fresco and the picnic is quite simply the best way to eat outside. You can vary the locale, heading to the park, beach, lake, or another scenic spot, but what should you bring to a picnic? It’s a pretty laid-back way to eat, but you must ensure you tote all the food and other essentials you need. To help you plan your next picnic—and make it extra special—we consulted food stylist, recipe developer, and keen picnicker Laura Rege to find out the best dishes to include in your picnic menu and the drinks, utensils, and other items you need for serving.

Creating Your Picnic Menu

"The best picnic dishes hold up to the heat, are easy to transport, and require no more than a few finishing touches once you get on site," says Rege. She notes that most of the food should be totally prepped at home and ready to eat once you unpack. While sandwiches are a picnic classic, they're not the only option. Here are her tips for planning the perfect picnic menu.

Eat With Your Hands

Rege suggests picking a selection of items that everyone can enjoy without needing forks or plates, such as meats, cheeses, and finger food appetizers. "If you want to make it a bigger meal, add in at least two main elements that are more filling and bring the cutlery or plates—but neither of these dishes should require excessive cutting or work," she says.

"For the main course, I love an egg-based dish like a quiche or something savory and pizza-like that you can hold in your hand," Rege says. She suggests you try our Spinach Feta Pizza Slab Pie. It's made by filling store-bought pizza dough—a convenient solution to minimize prep work—with spinach, mozzarella, and feta cheese.

If it's too hot to turn on your stovetop, oven, or grill to make something for the picnic, she suggests a cheese or charcuterie board made with store-bought ingredients.

Add Color

Aim for a variety of colors and textures for your spread. "It's the visual of a meal that first gets us excited to eat," Rege says, noting that in the summer when there is a bounty of colorful vegetables and fruits, it's easy to bring color to your picnic meal, whether that's with bright red wedges of watermelon or colorful crudités of carrot, cucumber, and summer squash to accompany your meats and cheeses.

Opt for Summery Sides

If your menu needs a few side dishes, Rege recommends options that utilize fresh summer produce, such as a tomato salad or a simple Caprese, which always tend to be crowd-pleasers and are great no-cook dishes. She also notes that chilled soup (like our tomato and bell pepper-based Gazpacho) is a fun and refreshing option that can be sipped from little cups. "Bring it in a thermos so it stays nice and cool," she says.

Don't Forget Dessert

Rege says dessert should always be a part of your picnic and preferably a dessert you can pick up and eat with your hands like our Peach and Raspberry Galette, which uses peak summer fruits. If a bar cookie is more your style, Rege says that's also an excellent choice.

Quench Your Thirst

Don't forget to bring beverage options to your picnic—or if guests ask what they can bring, assign them drinks duty. Pack bottles of seltzer in your cooler and garnish with sliced citrus when you serve for a next-level touch.

Pitcher Drinks: Rege loves making a pitcher cocktail. "Keep the drink cool in a thermos and pour out to serve," she says. "Bring a container with the garnish—it feels really special to add that final touch." Her pro tip is to make sure you're packing a drink everyone can enjoy, whether they want to consume alcohol or not, by bringing a mocktail that can be turned into a cocktail. Consider the heat when you select a cocktail—Rege recommends something thirst-quenching and lower in alcohol because you'll be drinking outside in the heat.

Pack the Necessities

Think about what items you'll need to serve the food and drinks once you arrive at your picnic location. This is what Rege recommends:

• For small bites and charcuterie bring light-weight wooden or bamboo cutting boards
• Mains and desserts can be presented in the dish they are prepared in or brought in
• Condiments can be decanted into Mason jars—don't forget spoons for serving
• To keep food contained on the blanket, bring lightweight wicker trays that you can place underneath the food
• For beverages, bring reusable cups that are easy to stack, light, and hard to break—Rege likes ones from Duralex and Govino
• Also remember to bring a washable tote bag or repurpose your picnic basket for food disposal

Prep the Ambiance

Make the picnic feel more luxe with some simple upgrades:

Seating: Rege recommends packing a beautiful picnic blanket and some pillows or cushions for ultimate comfort.

Lighting: "For picnics that might go into the evening, I add ambiance lighting with solar lanterns or strings of solar bulb lighting on the trees surrounding the picnic," she says.

Bug protection: Rege says citronella candles or other bug protection are an absolute must to pack.