What do you pack for a picnic?

[sconnell]

DH & I are going to the beach on Saturday and are taking a picnic to save us from buying lunch. (That and my kids are totally into playing picnic right now.)
I'd love to hear what you pack! Any ideas?

 

[problemchild718]

My kids used to LOVE going on teddy bear picnics when they were younger-Heres the deal: They would bring their favorite teddy bear and mom would pack sandwiches cut into BEAR shapes, TEDDY graham crackers, cheese cut into TEDDY BEAR shapes, crackers, fruit with yogurt and HONEY dip and BEAR cupcakes (cupcakes with a bear face made out of candy pieces and mini cookie rounds for ears) we would bring a bear themed book and read after we ate.
We have also done this with a beach theme, making boats out of cucumber halves fill with your favorite salad and make a sail out of a thin carrot stick and slice of cheese, sandwiches cut into boat or fish shapes, a new small sand pail with pudding topped with vanilla cookie crumbs and served with a shovel-you get the idea.
I'd let them help make the food and they couldn't wait to go!
Now that they are older, its usually sandwich wraps, fruit, chips, lemonade and maybe a salad of some sort. Have a great time and enjoy em while their little...time passes soooo fast!!!

 

[Plantlady]

Our picnic lunch is boring, but here it is anyway.

It's called, around our house the "granddad special" (their granddad took this on every vacation during their dad's childhood).

Sandwiches. Meat, cheese, bread
Chips.
Little Debbie Snack Cake
Soda

That's it.

Now, the boys just *love* this, because..

1. Granddad "invented" it
2. We don't usually eat meat (DH skips the meat on the picnic)
3. I buy good cheese (Swiss, cheddar, provolone), they love options
4. They never get soda
5. They never get chips
6. they rarely get little debbie snack cakes

So, it's simple, and a treat. We eat it every meal on vacations, and any time we're out, and planning a picnic.

 

[Priorityonecb]

My girls love the following for a picnic, it's a lot of fun and super easy!

I go get a package of the Hawaiian sweet rolls, they come in packs with 12 small rolls all attached in one package. I bring them home and make tiny sandwiches on each one. Tuna is a big favorite. Once made, I put them back together in the paper tray, slide the plastic bag back over them and tie it up. Perfect squish proof container!

When it's time to serve we just slide them out of their bag and enjoy! The girls love having those tiny sandwiches.

 

[vegasnative]

I love to take fried chicken! I'll get some from the grocery store deli and put it in the fridge and take with. I guess this would only work if you like cold chicken....me, I love it!!

 

[Disneymaniacs]

We like to take jumbo shrimp coctails, a cold salad (green salad, potatoe salad, or cole slaw), fresh fruit like strawberries, watermelon, pineapple, or grapes, crackers and cheese and a small treat like brownies. Its healthy and delicious and you do not feel like you are missing out on anything.

 

[disykat]

Our picnic lunch is boring, but here it is anyway.

It's called, around our house the "granddad special" (their granddad took this on every vacation during their dad's childhood).

Sandwiches. Meat, cheese, bread
Chips.
Little Debbie Snack Cake
Soda

That's it.

Now, the boys just *love* this, because..

1. Granddad "invented" it
2. We don't usually eat meat (DH skips the meat on the picnic)
3. I buy good cheese (Swiss, cheddar, provolone), they love options
4. They never get soda
5. They never get chips
6. they rarely get little debbie snack cakes

So, it's simple, and a treat. We eat it every meal on vacations, and any time we're out, and planning a picnic.

Hey, you stole our picnic! We usually skip the soda and have water and some grapes or cut up apple though. The only time we really picnic is on vacation to save money, so we keep it simple.

 

[Plantlady]

Hey, you stole our picnic! We usually skip the soda and have water and some grapes or cut up apple though. The only time we really picnic is on vacation to save money, so we keep it simple.

We only drink the soda with the meals. We have bottled water for when we walk around, or go on hikes and such.

I wish my kids would enjoy some fruit with it though.. but, that's part of the charm. They aren't listening to me tell them to eat their fruits and veggies.

 

[bbangel]

Finger foods so you don't need cutlery. So that means veggie sticks and cut up fruit. If we are eating quickly after leaving home or have some way of keeping it cool, we bring dip for the veggies. We usually also bring crackers or some kind of chips (love to do tortilla chips and salsa).
Sandwich fixings (everything from leftover meatloaf to deli meat and cheese, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, sprouts and lettuce. Then good buns (I like cheese buns) to make our personal sandwiches on. If we have cooling and space then condiments like mustard and mayo come with.

Just a warning about having mayo or dairy based dressings and dips. Make sure you have a way of keeping stuff cool because it can spoil quickly (even though it smells and tastes okay) Harder cheeses and meat last a little longer but it is good to keep that cool as well.

 

[swilshire]

My girls love the following for a picnic, it's a lot of fun and super easy!

I go get a package of the Hawaiian sweet rolls, they come in packs with 12 small rolls all attached in one package. I bring them home and make tiny sandwiches on each one. Tuna is a big favorite. Once made, I put them back together in the paper tray, slide the plastic bag back over them and tie it up. Perfect squish proof container!

When it's time to serve we just slide them out of their bag and enjoy! The girls love having those tiny sandwiches.

That is SUCH a fantastic idea. Unfortunately, I've never been able to get any of my kids to eat any kind of sandwich, but DH and I would be very happy with this.

Sheila

 

[swilshire]

I love to take fried chicken! I'll get some from the grocery store deli and put it in the fridge and take with. I guess this would only work if you like cold chicken....me, I love it!!

I love cold fried chicken as well. There are seldom any leftovers at our house, but if there are, I like to slice the boneless breast and put it on top of a salad.

Sheila

 

[NicRI]

My DD loves to eat out side in the summer. So to her, it's always a picnic. Could be a sandwich, could be a plate of spagetti, if she can eat it out side on a blanket, its a picnic.

I get her to try new foods this way. Has worked out well for us.

 

[sconnell]

Thanks everyone! Those are some great ideas! We'll try most of them at some point, because my kids are really in to spreading a blanket and having a "picnic" wherever they can! (in the den, etc. lol) They'll get a kick out of themed picnics and I know they would love to do a "Big Daddy Picnic". My father passed away and there isn't much for them to remember of him. He loved crackers and cheese and simple picnics, so I need to come up with a meal for him, but I'll leave out the sardines.
The leftover fried chicken makes AWESOME chicken salad! (leaving a tiny bit of skin and crust) How good would that be on the Hawaiian Sweet Rolls?!? I want that for lunch today!