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A Dietitian’s Tips to Plan the Perfect Healthy Picnic Lunch

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A Dietitian’s Tips to Plan the Perfect Healthy Picnic Lunch

Summer is here and the warm weather is calling. With a full day in the sun, it is easy to resort to quick, and a picnic is a surprisingly simple solution. Cooper Clinic Nutrition Services offers tips to help you plan a healthy picnic lunch with a menu that is fun and can be completely eaten by hand. 

The Perfect Sandwich     
Sandwiches are a picnic staple and can make or break your healthy intentions for lunch. Choose whole wheat, multi-grain, omega-3 or flax bread with whole grains for a rich source of fiber, vitamins and antioxidants. For a twist on a traditional sandwich, use a whole wheat tortilla to make a wrap. Maximize the fiber in your sandwich by choosing bread/wrap with more than the three grams of fiber per serving.

When choosing the filling for your sandwich, select lean luncheon meats with less than three grams of fat per ounce. Using leftover chicken or salmon is another option which will decrease the sodium content of the sandwich or wrap. Plus, get your kids to eat more veggies by tucking shredded carrot, zucchini and tomatoes inside. Mustard makes a great condiment in sandwiches adding very few calories, and it doesn’t require temperature control. If opting for mayonnaise, choose light mayonnaise with five grams of fat per tablespoon versus regular mayonnaise, which can have as much as 10 grams of fat per tablespoon.

Delcious, Essential Sides
Fruit and veggie slices are a go-to, healthy side to your picnic lunch. They are simple to prepare and easy to serve. Add in a healthy dip like hummus, low-fat yogurt, light Ranch, salsa or guacamole to go with some baby carrots, celery sticks, cucumber coins and cherry tomatoes.

Throw in some fruit options such as grapes, berries, melon balls, apples or bananas. Dried fruit is also a great option with versatility, which can be mixed with nuts and/or whole grain cereals. Pre-pack the trail mix to control the serving size as ¼ cup serving size of nuts yields about 180 calories. Fruit can also stand alone as dessert. For a delicious version of strawberry shortcake, pack angel food cake with sliced strawberries and nonfat whipped topping. Freeze the whipped topping the night before so it will thaw by the time you’re ready to serve and still be cold. 

Hydration Station
Don’t forget to pack plenty to drink. Water is the best choice for a long day outside. You’ll want to make sure you keep hydrated without consuming too many of calories and sugar. We recommend optimizing calories in food and minimizing calories in beverages. A 6-ounce juice pouch can add up to 120 calories. To help minimize liquid calories, alternate water and juice (if you choose to drink juices). 

Packing a picnic basket and heading off to the beach, soccer field or park is a wonderful rite of summer, but traditional picnic foods like fried chicken and potato salad can wreak havoc on your diet. Instead, aim for a picnic basket that contains plentiful fruits and vegetables, lean meat, fish or chicken and a whole-grain or two.

For more information about Cooper Clinic Nutrition Services, click here or call 972.560.2655.