By Sara
It’s time to start thinking about healthy vegan picnic foods, as we are in the unofficial start to summer, now that Memorial Day is in our rearview mirror! Don’t you just love packing a picnic lunch and heading out for a little adventure? Bonus points for bringing along the family dog for a day of exercise and fun!
This is a roundup of some favorite picnic foods that happen to be a delight for your tastebuds. These are all vegan recipes. (Note: I eat whole food plant-based and have cut out oil from my diet, and so haven’t used the oil in these recipes, but you do you!). If you are new to vegan eating, you certainly don’t have to do this, veganism is a journey, not a destination– so go at the pace that works for you!
What’s your favorite place to go to enjoy a healthy vegan picnic?
“The best memories are made when gathered on a picnic blanket.”
Sandwiches:
I may be just a little biased, but I really enjoy our “Easy Peasy Bean Sandwich”. It has such a great flavor profile, and you can put in the vegetables you prefer to make it your own. It packs well and is easy to make.
I am in LOVE with Megan Sadd’s Hearts of Palm “Lobster” Rolls with Avocado Persillade from her 30-Minute Vegan Dinners Cookbook. These sandwiches are absolutely decadent and delicious! This is surprising, as I never enjoyed seafood in my pre-vegan days.
Chickpea Salad sandwiches from Oh She Glows is very reminiscent of chicken salad sandwiches, and so tasty and filling with all that fiber! The texture with all the crunchy veggies is amazing, and this is great in a wrap atop a bed of fresh greens. The fresh dill makes this recipe shine!
Tempeh Club Sandwich: The Club Sandwich from Love and Lemons is actually vegan, and is so tasty! The sandwich spreads really up the flavor profile, and there are 2 spreads, but you make one, divide it in half, and blend some sun dried tomatoes in half, and viola– 2 easy spreads! A great way to refuel after a challenging hike.
Salads:
Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad from Plantifully Based is amazing! The Tofu Cotija cheese is amazing, even when I omitted the olive oil. I love it with extra lime juice! Pasta salad and Mexican street corn– is there a better combo?
Potato Salad: The Eggy Potato Salad from the Superfun TImes Vegan Holiday Cookbook by Isa Chandra Moskowitz is absolutely delicious and tastes just like the potato salad my Mom used to make for us growing up! (I substitute the Mayo from Clean Food Dirty Girl to omit the processed mayo).
Fruit:
Watermelon pineapple or cantaloupe chunks not only help to replenish electrolytes lost during your activities, but they also help to rehydrate with their high water content. (Bonus, you can share a few pieces with your dog).
Peaches- the quintessential summer fruit in my book. I am never without peaches in the summer! Make sure to bring some washcloths to wipe all the juice off your hands and face afterwards, they are quite frequently so very juicy!
Dessert:
Chocolate Chip Cookies: I will be honest here: I usually just cheat and purchase these at Whole Foods. Anyone have a favorite recipe they can throw my way?
Brownies: Colleen Patrick Goudreau’s Chocolate Brownies recipe from The Joy of Vegan Baking cookbook is far and away the best brownie recipe I’ve made, and I just love it! The applesauce in it replaces oil and they are moist and oh so scrumptious!
Beverages:
Water is my favorite, but I also enjoy a mix of berries, cucumber and mint in my water bottle along with some ice so that it all gets muddled together for an extra refreshing drink.
This will again help to replenish electrolytes lost with activity without adding a lot of sweetened chemicals to your body and saving a lot of calories to boot!
So there you have it: a collection of my favorite, tried-and-true recipes that are perfect for picnics. This healthy vegan picnic fare packs well and are easy to mix and match. Hope this helps to make your next picnic a success!
If you have any particular favorites, I’d love to hear them. Please share in the comments below!
