There’s never a bad time to get your family together for a picnic. It’s easy to prep and pack a nutritious and delicious spread.

Main Meal Munchies

  • Grill lean turkey or black bean burgers.
  • Host a build-your-own kabob bar with grilled chicken and veggies.
  • Toss in tortillas, and make a wrap station.

All the Fixins

It’s not a picnic without plenty of side dishes.

  • Slice up fresh fruit and veggies. Watermelon is always a popular choice.
  • Dip veggies in hummus.
  • Snack on chips and salsa.

Meal planning and prepping make eating healthier easier at any meal.

Play It Safe

With any food event, keep safety in mind.

  • Rinse all produce before packing so it’s ready to serve.
  • Pack food into two coolers: one for meat and one for other foods. Separating food reduces the risk of cross-contamination.
  • Put coolers in the back of the vehicle versus the trunk, which is warmer.
  • Ask everyone to wash their hands or use hand sanitizer before eating.
  • Keep coolers closed as much as possible.
  • Keep hot foods at 140°F or warmer and cold foods at 40°F or cooler.
  • Throw out food that has been sitting out for more than two hours.

Recipe To Try

If you’re looking for an easy, healthy and delicious dish to add to your picnic, try this broccoli slaw.

Broccoli slaw recipe

Jodi Rawson

As Digital Marketing Strategist Jodi Rawson oversees the digital consumer experience for North Kansas City Hospital & Meritas Health. This includes managing website strategy, marketing automation and social media for the system. She believes in the power of building positive relationships, trusts data (with a side of gut instinct) and has a passion for driving consumer engagement..
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