How To Pack The Best Vegan Picnic
The perfect vegan picnic starts with a beautiful spot outside and some tasty finger food. It’s Spring where I live and I’ve been dying to spend time outside hiking and camping, but it’s too early to get out on most mountain trails right now. The next best thing? The local city park!
I’m going to share a few tips and things to consider when choosing the best snacks for your vegan picnic. I also have a few picnic recipes for you that I personally love to bring on my wicker basket adventures.
Things To Consider When Packing a Vegan Picnic
Finger food – The last thing you want to bring on a picnic is a full dining set up. Leave the extra plates and cutlery at home. You want to pack food that is easy to eat with your hands and doesn’t cause a huge mess. Think sandwiches, chips, dips, fresh fruit and veggies, nuts, etc.
Sharing is Caring – The food you bring should be easy to share. Cut sandwiches into bite-sized portions and divide individual servings into separate containers.
Go Zero/Low Waste – I know it may be tempting to just hit the grocery store on your way to picnic town, but a little pre-planning at home can seriously reduce your waste. Make your snacks at home and pack them in reusable containers. You can even pack them in those cool wax wraps. I even made a video about how to make you very own Vegan Wax Food Wraps!
Long Lasting Foods – Bring food that will still be edible after a few hours in a warm environment. Salads wilt easily and creamy potato salads can go bad if left too long! However, you can still bring these things and avoid spoiled food by opting for a cooler instead of a tote or basket.
Drinks – Whatever you bring, don’t forget to bring something to wash it all down with! Nothing is worse than being full and sitting in the hot sun without a refreshing beverage. Seriously, just bring a cooler. It’s going to be less instagramable than a wicker picnic basket but *sigh* but you and your picnic crew will be so much happier.
What To Pack For a Vegan Picnic
It’s always a good idea to bring a mix of flavors and textures to keep things exciting on your journey through the picnic basket. I like to start off with salsa, chips, and dips to get the party started. Then I’ll split up some sandwiches or vegan sushi between everyone and mix a refreshing beverage. Don’t forget to indulge in some vegan chocolate-y creation at the end of the day!
Make Your Vegan Picnic Comfy
All you need for a traditional picnic is a basket of food and a blanket. When you want to chill extra hard or you just wan your picnic to feel more luxurious, there are a few accessories that will level up your relaxing day outside. Here is some of my favorite picnic “furniture”!
Vegan Picnic Recipes
Here are some of my favorite recipes from all over the vegan blogosphere! Check out all of these amazing chefs!
Mango Salsa
One of my all time favorites. I love the sweet/spicy combination of mango salsa and it’s super easy to make at home! Check out this recipe by Simple Veganista
Vegan Sushi
Vegan sushi is easy to share and you can make a huge batch at home before your vegan picnic. I like to combine cucumber, marinated tofu, carrots, avocado, and sprouts in mine, but you can really but anything you want in these! Check out this awesome recipe on Vegan Heaven!
Vegan Cashew Queso
This Queso Dip by Minimalist Baker is SO good! It’s an awesome dip for tortilla chips or you can pour it onto a burrito bowl! Give me all of the vegan cheese.
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
This hummus is great as a dip or spread onto a sandwich. It’s so flavorful, easy to share, and easy to pack in your vegan picnic. This tasty recipe from Eat Plant-based is the real deal.
Vegan Chickpea Tuna Pita Pockets
I know, I know… more chickpeas! But hear me out – these pita pockets are the perfect vegan picnic meal! I’ve made these on regular bread and they tend to get soggy fast. The pita seems to hold up better and the “pocket” makes eating these mess-free! This is a wonderful recipe by Rhian’s Recipes – go check it out!
Simple Tropical Fruit Salad
A good fresh fruit salad can be the most refreshing snack on a hot summer day. Especially if it’s been sitting on ice and its nice and cold! You can combine just about any fruits for this, but I love this colorful tropical version from Simple Vegan Blog.
Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
Cookies are the obvious choice for a vegan picnic. They are easy to share and they’ll stay fresh all afternoon. Get this recipe and a ton of other amazing cookies on Love and Lemons.
Now that you have some ideas to get you started, find some recipes that you and your friends will enjoy the next time you’re spending a lazy afternoon in the sun. Planning to hike and picnic? Check out my article on Vegan Hiking Snacks! Be sure to comment and tell us what you packed for your vegan picnic and any tips you have for us!
