Pack a Family Picnic

It’s hard to believe it’s already August.  Summer is almost over and the kids go back to school in just a couple weeks! Now is the time to knock off some of those family time activities you had on your bucket list at the beginning of the summer.  So, how about going on a family picnic!

The possibilities are endless and there’s no better way to have quality time with the family than being outdoors, active, and surrounded by fun healthy finger food.  Below are some suggestions for what to bring on your family picnic.

No-Chill Foods

• Whole fruit
• Dried fruits (raisins, apples, apricots), 100% fruit juice boxes, canned fruit
• Tortillas, bagels, pocket bread, and buns (Remember to choose more often those brands that list whole grains as the first ingredient)
• Nuts, peanut butter, unopened canned meat

Cooler Foods

• Cooked and uncooked chicken, meat, shrimp, fish; hard-cooked eggs; deli meat
• Salads that contain cut-up meats, or vegetables or fruits
• Low-fat or fat-free cheese, string cheese, yogurt, milk
• Single-serving pudding

Keep the Family Picnics Safe at the Plate!

• Bring water and soap to wash hands, surfaces, and cutting boards
• Bring food thermometer.  Use it to grill to safe internal temperature: 160° F for burgers; a minimum internal temperature of 165° F for chicken.
• Store chilled foods in a cooler with ice or ice packs
• Store uncooked meat, poultry, or fish for grilling in a well-sealed container.  Pack it in the bottom of the cooler so juices will not leak onto other foods.
• Put grilled foods on a clean plate, not the plate used for uncooked foods.  Disposable paper plates are great!
• Keep coolers in the car as you drive, not a hot trunk.  At the picnic, keep them in shade under a tree or bench.
• Return chilled foods to the cooler right after serving.
• Discard leftover meat, chicken, fish, eggs, and foods made with them if left out for 1 hour or more in temperatures over 90° F.

Picnics aren’t all about food!  While you have the family together in a beautiful outdoor setting make it fun with one of these outdoor activities.

• Explore with a nature scavenger hunt
• Walk or ride bikes on a nature trail
• Play water catch at the beach or pool
• Bring a rubber ball, Frisbee, or jump rope
• Kids like to dance.  Ask your child to pick music CDs. Pack along a player!

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Jamie Bain is a Health and Nutrition Extension Educator for the East Metro. Her passions are working with youth, local foods access, and cooking healthy delicious food (preferably from the garden!).  She believes that communities are only as healthy as their food systems. Before working with Extension, she worked for a variety of nonprofit organizations in the metro area with a focus of holistic health for all and received her Master’s degree in Public Health Nutrition from the University of Minnesota in 2006. You can link to the Extension Health and Nutrition website at:  http://www.extension.umn.edu/health/