Packing for a Summer Picnic: Top 9 Healthy Bites for Your Basket

July 28th, 2010 | Tags: , , , , ,

‘Tis the season for picnicking. The weather is warm, the
days are long, and parks across the country are filling up with al fresco
diners. The record heat on the East Coast has even eased up this week, the
evenings becoming cool and breezy. So pack up a basket, roll out a blanket, and
mix and match the seasonal recipe suggestions below.

To nosh:

  •  Roasted Eggplant Salad with Pita Chips and Yogurt
    Sauce: This Greek-inspired dish is a satisfying starter you and your picnicking
    pals can easily share. Plus the yogurt boasts bone-building calcium, and you’ll
    get fiber from the eggplant.

 

  • Asparagus Wrapped in Serrano Ham: For a finger food
    that makes snacking guilt-free, these scrumptious sprigs pack folate, a
    B vitamin that wards off anemia and is linked with decreased risk for
    hypertension, among other health benefits.

 

  •  Salmon Bruschetta: This recipe puts a twist on
    bruschetta with a famously good-for-you fish. Make and store the omega 3-rich
    salmon topping up to two days in advance and let your friends spoon it over
    crunchy wheat crackers.

 Bonus: 10 Healthy Meals You Can Make in 10 Minutes!


To dig in:

  • Tangy Tuna and Sun-dried Tomato Wrap: For a portable
    summer sandwich, wrap up canned tuna with sun-dried tomatoes in a whole-wheat
    or spinach tortilla. The fish boasts protein and vitamin B12, as well as
    skin-helping niacin.

 

  •  Lentil Salad with Carrots, Yellow Tomatoes and Bell
    Peppers: It’s hard to go wrong with a dish that offers delicious fiber and
    protein (from the lentils) and vitamin A (from the carrots). Keep vegetarians
    satisfied with this colorful mix. (Meat-eaters too!)

 

To indulge:

  • Banana-Raspberry Bread: For a hearty and delicious
    picnic dénouement, try this easily shared sweet bread. Now in season,
    raspberries pack fiber, while bananas offer bone and heart-healthy potassium.

 

  • Lemon-nut Torte with Summer Berries: This gluten-free
    treat, from the restaurant Akasha in Culver City, California, pairs tangy
    citrus with sweet, antixodiant-rich berries. Top it off with a dusting of
    powdered sugar and pack it in your picnic basket to go.

 

To sip:

  •  Sweet Peach Tea: This refreshing recipe gets a boost
    from the natural flavors of ginger, mint and lemon. Plus peaches deliver
    cancer-fighting antioxidants, and the polyphenols in tea may lower your risk
    for cancer, as well.

 

  •  Low-sugar Lemonade: Enjoy a slimmed down — but still
    tasty — version of a classic summer sip. Instead of sugar, unsweetened
    applesauce and maple syrup take the edge off the tart lemon juice.

 

—Margy Slattery

 

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