Eating outside is one of the best parts of summer, but good execution can be tricky. Besides the food, there’s a bunch of other stuff going on, including variable weather and bugs.
Here’s how to make sure you carry out a great meal:
-Keep The Food Fresh
Planning the best foods is the first step. If you want to go fancy, check out a recipe book for picnic foods. If you want to focus more on fun then food, pack finger foods. Cut sandwiches into smaller bites, make fruit and veggies easy to eat, basically try and make things single serving, rather than messy.
Maybe more importantly: follow safe food guidelines. Use coolers (and maybe ice, sterno, etc.) to keep hot food hot and cold food cold. Use fresh ingredients for uncooked foods, and seal everything carefully.
-Plan For The Unexpected
Weather reports aren’t always right. If you’re heading out of town, know where the nearest tornado shelter is, or the fastest route back to your car. Umbrellas are useful if it rains, or can double as parasols if you find the UV youre getting higher than anticipated. (And don’t forget sunscreen, and lots of bottled water).
If you’re hiking, check where the flood zones are (it’s been a wet summer!).
-And Avoid The Bugs
Ticks and Mosquitoes are the big thing to worry about—both have high numbers this year, and can carry diseases like West Nile Virus and Lyme Disease (those are the two biggest, but there are more).
Avoid ticks by avoiding long grass, wild animals, and wearing long sleeves and pants. Avoid mosquitoes by not going out during dusk and dawn (pretty as a picnic sunset is, wet summers also mean higher mosquito numbers!).
Here’s another useful trick: discourage wasps by laying out some strategically placed cucumber slices.
And of course, try and be a neat eater, and get rid of/seal up trash, and your picnic when you’re done.
-And Don’t Forget A First Aid Kit
Bandages, some colloidal silver, aspirin, and more should all be there.
-Post-Picnic
If you left that potato salad sandwich out a little too long before finishing it off, make sure to fill up with probiotics (from yogurt or a quality supplement like Flora MGR).
What’s your favorite picnic recipe?
