Healthy Picnics

Yesterday's Times Food section  about sandwiches brought on ideas about picnics. The weather is perfect for a healthy meal outdoors whether at the park or the beach . Pack your basket with tasty but good for you sandwiches, snacks and drinks.

The sandwich is the main star of any picnic meal. Think healthy with meat from leftover roasts. Cold cuts can be good however try to get those that have less nitrates and fats in them. Although with leftover chicken and turkey , you can pack the wings and legs, if there any left over.Leftover ham, chicken and roast beef can also be devilled simply by adding chunks of leftover roasts to a food processor along with a teaspoon or two of water.This creates a nice paste that can be mixed with low calorie mayo or even olive oil for a spread. Veggie sandwiches are always good. Go Provencale by adding some sliced tomatoes on a whole wheat baguette. The Food Sandwich issue suggests not keeping the tomatoes in the fridge. This will make their flesh mushy. They should have a nice firmness and a chewy sort of meatiness to it . For the Southern French style, you can drizzle some olive oil on the bread along with some sprinklings of oregano and rosemary. For a Nicoise  use tuna, preferably tonno in olio, tuna packed in olive oil. This is both good for you and a luxury. Peeled and  sliced hard boiled eggs add another silken touch of lux,. If you have the time you can make either broccoli or mushroom pate. These are somewhat labor intensive spreads however they are yummy and delicious on artisanal rolls.

One of the most favorite aspects of picnicking are the snacks. Everyone feels like they can go wild on an outdoor jaunt. Bags of potato chips, and cheese puffs are always thrown in  along with every kind of available snack cake. These may be fun to  nibble on  but  whether they're eaten outdoors or indoors , they're still bad for you.Insteead try a bag of pretzels,. You can even pack some kind of mustard too for dipping. Nuts are always a good bring along. Nothing beats some crunchy almonds or lightly sea salted peanuts..As for sweets, dark chocolate  is always a good treat. It's full of antioxidants and flavonoids. Try fruits dipped in it for extra flavor. More natural are cuts fruit pieces such as watermelon and pineapple. Both are sweet endings full of vitamins and fiber.As Spring progresses , think about packing seasonal fruits such as strawberries and blueberries.Cookies are always fun to bring along and there are healthy ones out there such  as the Kashi brand or Fig Newtons. You can also bake a batch too but remember to use whole wheat flour and   brown sugar. All this food requires drink. Again skip the soda and bring the chilled water bottles. If you want flavor then think BAI and BAI5 juices and sodas. These are all natural  with the addition of the coffeefruit and come in tasty flavors like peach and blueberry.Their sodas are light and sparkling ,perfect thirst quenchers during a hot day.

Spring picnics are always fun.Make them healthier too, with  good for you sandwiches, snacks and drinks, It's a great way of enjoying the fresh air.