These Easy Picnic Food Ideas make for a great summer afternoon buffet. From cheese to cold meats to treats…there is something for everyone on this picnic foods ideas list. And let’s be honest…sometimes making lunch can feel like a job…when you just lay it out and invite everyone to DIY their own lunch…well, sometimes that just makes life easier!
Easy Picnic Food Ideas
As always, keep food sensitivities and food allergies in mind when you do your grocery shopping and picnic planning. You may want to go totally nut-free, vegetarian, dairy-free or not. I tend to offer things in their own containers and that way those who might have sensitivities can opt to take things or not (except when it comes to nuts…if I know someone has a nut allergy then nuts are off the menu completely!)
Picnic Food Ideas
- Baguette
- croissants
- crackers
- french toast strips
- buns
- wraps
- cheddar cheese
- swiss cheese
- brie
- gruyere cheese
- oka cheese
- black forest ham
- oven roasted chicken
- sausage bites
- salami
- pickles
- olives
- nuts (if no allergies)
- raw cut carrots
- cut cucumber
- celery
- raw broccoli florets
- tomatoes
- raw cut red peppers
- mini salad bowls
- humus
- tzatziki
- chips
- popcorn
- corn chips
- brownies (click here for the BEST BROWNIES RECIPE EVER)
- cookies
- grapes
- watermelon
- orange slices
- apple slices
- juice
- water
- wine (if at home and not driving – and adults only)
Picnic food layout tips
If you are going on a picnic…aim to pack things in containers which lock air out in order to keep them fresh longer. Add ice packs and thermal containers to keep things cold (no one likes cut meat which has been sitting in the sun all day…you can get sick from that sort of thing).
RELATED: CAMP FOOD AND COTTAGE FOOD IDEAS
You might want to use…
- muffin tins to separate foods
- picnic blanket
- fold-able camping picnic table
- paper plates
- serving spoons
- napkins
- insulated containers
Have a buffet in the backyard!
I am getting a little tired of making lunch for everyone. Thus, I highly recommend taking some of the foods mentioned above…put them on a big tray…and have a DIY your own lunch buffet in the backyard. It makes lunch so much more casual and fun!
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