The picnic foods I’m eating all spring and summer

The Picnic Foods I'm Eating All Spring and Summer

If there's one thing I've learned over the last year, it's that being outside is awesome. Bonus points if the weather is nice, but at this point, even going for a walk in the cold helps to break up my day and make me feel energized. And now that the weather in NYC is getting warmer and sunnier, I've made a pact with myself that I am going to have so many picnics this spring and summer.

The best part about picnic foods is that basically anything goes. Whatever you can transport easily in a cooler or a grocery bag can be a picnic food. The obvious place to start is with sandwiches: they're totally customizable and the perfect hand food and can be a solid foundation for your picnic.

For a super simple, low-effort affair, throw together your favorite cheese, cured meats, a baguette, grapes, and baby carrots and spend your day lounging and grazing. Dips and spreads are another picnic essential. They're simple and satisfying, and be served with your favorite flatbreads, chopped veggies, crackers, or any other vessel you like.

If you really want to go all-out with your picnic foods, it doesn't get any better than sausage rolls. Or use puff pastry to make any one of these delicious appetizers, which taste just as good cold. If you're packing plates and utensils, whip up your favorite coleslaw or a pasta salad. And throw in some dessert bars to round out your meal.

So pack up your sunscreen, picnic blanket, and a good book—there's no better way to spend a good-weather day than with food and fresh air.

- Kate McKenna
Email Editor, The Spruce Eats

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