Food always seems to taste better when enjoyed outdoors and in the company of great friends and family. So, pack your picnic basket, grab a blanket, bring some companions, and take advantage of the sunny warm weather the spring and summer months have to offer with an al fresco dining experience! Don’t sweat, planning a picnic doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Here are some fun and fuss-free ideas for planning a picnic in the fresh air and sunshine!

1. Pick a Location:

• At the Park: Whether you’re on a grassy spot in the sunlight or under the shade of a tree, a park is the perfect place to gather for a picnic! If you’re feeling guilty about leaving your beloved pooch at home, there are plenty of pet-friendly parks so you can bring Fido along!
• On a Beach: Sun, surf, and sand is the ideal combination for a picnic on the beach! Just make sure you enjoy each element separately to avoid melted, soggy, or grainy grub.
• At a Drive-In Movie: CRAVing a romantic night with your sweetie? Dinner and a movie underneath a blanket of twinkling nighttime stars is a perfect date night combination. Don’t forget to bring popcorn and candy!
• In Your Backyard: Want to enjoy a meal outside but don’t feel like hauling a basket or cooler full of food around? No problem, a picnic in your backyard can be just as fun and probably less stressful if you happen to forget the napkins!
• On a Roof-top Patio: For those of you dwelling in the concrete jungle, many apartment and condo buildings have a roof-top patio for their residents to enjoy. The only difference? Rather than being surrounded by trees, you have adjacent skyscrapers to provide shade.

2. Picnic Menu Items:

We encourage you to be creative, but to also keep things simple with your picnic menu! Remember, you have to schlep these baskets around with limited heating or cooling available, and food poisoning is never included in the recipe for fun. Pack your picnic baskets with these simple palate pleasers, bon appetit!

• Savor: Definitely use your left-overs when you can! Roasted chicken can be used to make a yummy pasta or Caesar salad. You can also make some simple PB&J or turkey sandwiches the night before and refrigerate them until you’re ready to head out. Soft bagels with cream cheese are also a great and effortless menu option. Here are some other easy picnic recipes to consider.
• Sip: Class up your picnic with a bottle of wine to sip while you savor your meal, which is ideal if you’re enjoying a laid-back picnic on your backyard porch. For public parks and beaches, we recommend some bubbly and refreshing sparkling apple cider instead. Lemonade is also the classic beverage of choice for a sunny spring/summer picnic.
• Sweets: You can’t go wrong with brownies and cookies, which are crowd-pleasers for any age. A fresh fruit salad is delicious and nutritious, and also surprisingly portable! We generally don’t recommend packing anything that melts quickly, but if you’re having a backyard picnic you can get away with serving ice cream and popsicles!

3. Picnic Essentials NOT to Forget:

• Sunscreen/sun block: Don’t ruin your outdoor picnic with a painful sunburn, keep yourself sun protected! As the people from the land down under would say, “Slip, Slop, Slap: slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen, and slap on a hat.”
• Insect repellant: A good idea if you’re going to be outdoors long enough for the mosquitoes to come out for their own picnic.
• Big quilt/blanket: If you’re going to be dining on the grass, sit on a big quilt or blanket to protect yourself from ants in your pants, or even worse, in your food!
• Eating utensils: Finger food is always fun, but if you plan on serving something that requires a fork, spoon, or knife, eating with your bare hands will get messy and complicated.
• Plastic bag(s): Be considerate of others and the park in which you are enjoying your picnic and clean up any trash or food waste. Also, if your pooch joined you for your picnic, please pick up behind your pawed pal as well.
• Anti-bacterial hand gel/wipes: Ahh, germs! Need we say more?
• Entertainment: Don’t dine and dash, stay a while! Bring some playing cards, a Frisbee, or play bocce ball while your tummies digest.