1 of 13

Write now Article Tools

"Low fat" and "Picnic" are not concepts that typically wind up in the same paragraph! A picnic usually implies fried chicken, potato chips, soda pop, brownies, it's hard to imagine coming up with a low fat version of those foods. Planning a low fat picnic will mean breaking with tradition and designing a nourishing feast of healthy foods that will tempt the kids and family every bit as much as the fried delectables.

The key is to pack up a wide array of tasty goodies, lots of little things with no big servings of anything. Nobody wants to spend a picnic eating a whole bowl of spinach salad, but if you dress up the spinach salad with some nuts, wedges of mandarin orange, or sesame sticks, and serve it as a small side dish along with other tasty foods, it'll be eaten right up.

I recommend thinking in categories. Here are some suggestions:

1) Finger foods
- olives and small cubes of feta
- carrot sticks, cherry tomatoes and hummus
- apples with peanut butter
- Granola with dried raspberries or strawberries
- Deviled eggs

2) Salads
- bean salads
- Tuscan white bean and tuna salad
- salad with chicken breast and vinaigrette
- Greek village salad
- tabbouleh
- Indian yogurt, tomato and onion salad

3) Main
- Sandwiches
- hummus and tomato
- sliced meats like turkey or ham
- roast beef cucumber and low-fat alouette herbed cheese
- Tuna with capers, onions olives and olive oil
- Charbroiled chicken breasts with a vinaigrette
- Dolmas (or Dolmades)
- Gazpacho

4) Fruits
- Watermelon or cantaloupe
- plums, pears, peaches, nectarines
- the key is not apples/oranges/bananas or things the family eats every day

5) Drinks
- crystal light sugar free Koolaid packets for the kids
- Nestea sugar free iced tea for the grownups
- (or a beer, it is a picnic after all :)

That's it, good luck. Be creative and nobody will miss that fried chicken!

Learn more about this author, Alexia Schulz.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about Guide to low fat picnics?
We want to hear your view. Write now!