Tips for a Perfect Picnic
Whether you're at the swimming pool, on a hike, or in a park, a picnic can be a highly enjoyable occasion. In this article, we will discuss how to properly prepare, transport, and refrigerate meals for outdoor activities.
Well-prepared meals: Healthy salads and bowls
When bringing food from home for a picnic, not only is it a pleasant alternative to dining at a kiosk or a restaurant, it is also more cost-effective and generally healthier. Brigitte Bruno, a nutrition expert, suggests that with a little time invested in planning and preparation, complete meals for the journey can be obtained.
When it comes to choosing the right food for your picnic, sweet or savory muffins, banana bread, focaccia, or puff pastry rolls are ideal for taking away. These options can be easily transported, keep well, and save on plates and cutlery. Another practical option is to use wooden skewers and thread on cut fruits and vegetables, cubes of cheese, meatballs, or falafel. Delicious and healthy salads or bowls can also be prepared at home and dressed on-site.
However, it is best to avoid bringing anything containing raw eggs. This includes homemade mayonnaise or desserts. The risk of salmonella is too high. Additionally, raw or undercooked fish and meat should be discouraged due to the risk of germs. To minimize the risk of food poisoning during a picnic, it is important to avoid easily perishable foods, or at least cook them thoroughly and store cooked foods separately from raw foods, explains Brigitte Bruno.
Properly transporting your food: Suitable containers
The right containers are crucial for transporting food to your picnic. Muffin tins with compartments can be filled with individual snacks such as nuts or vegetables. These tins can be wrapped in beeswax or kitchen cloth and placed at the bottom of your bag. Paper muffin cups are also perfect for transport and can be used to separate different components when placed in lunch boxes. Bread boxes with pre-defined compartments are ideal for keeping your sandwiches intact. Screw-top jars are very practical for transporting salads and dressings without the risk of leakage, as well as vegetable sticks with dips. It is best to tightly wrap bread in sandwich paper and tie it with string – not only does it look nice, but it also allows you to eat the snack practically “in the bag” by simply cutting it in half on-site.
On the other hand, Brigitte Bruno advises against using old egg cartons as transport boxes due to hygiene concerns. Eggshells and cardboard boxes can harbor germs and should be avoided.
Staying properly refreshed: Importance against germs and bacteria
To keep your food fresh during a picnic, it is important to have a cooler or an insulated bag with cooling elements. This is because germs and bacteria can multiply most effectively between temperatures of ten and 50 degrees Celsius. However, it is essential to understand that coolers and insulated bags do not cool the food but rather maintain its cold temperature, says Brigitte Bruno.
The cooling capacity of your cooler or insulated bag depends on various factors such as the quality of insulation, ambient temperature, the quantity and temperature of the introduced food, as well as the type of cold accumulators used. Bruno recommends keeping easily perishable foods in the insulated bag during the picnic until they are consumed and avoiding leaving food out in warm environments for too long. It is also important to put food leftovers back in the cooler after the meal.
To ensure your insulated bag works optimally, consider the following:- Pre-cooling it before adding food.- Properly filling the cooler to maximize insulation.- Keeping the cooler closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature.- Protecting the cooler from direct sunlight to prevent the food from heating up.
As a useful tip, you can freeze PET bottles containing non-carbonated beverages like water or tea overnight. These frozen bottles can serve as additional cold packs and provide cold refreshments throughout the day.
