picnic food!

Picnics are my very favorite. Back in the single summertime days, Katie and I went on many many good ones. I think we usually had pretty healthy foods, but picnic fare can easily turn fatty and sugary and processed (those things are so easy to pack!).

Some of my favorites to bring along:

-lots and lots of fruit and fruit salad (not with whipped cream or pudding or any of those fruit salad ruiners--just make sure there are chopped strawberries in there and the whole thing becomes nice and syrupy)
-veg for eating plain (little tomatoes, sugar snap peas) or dipping (carrots, celery, cucumber)
-a good dip (hummus is my favorite and has no dairy to get hot and rotten)
-favorite salad (cucumbers + tomatoes + avocados + sea salt)
-tabouli (packs well and tastes great made from a package)
-crackers and cheese

I know Katie posted about Hungry Girl long ago, and I recently found that the site has a whole lot of "bite it/fight it" recipes--good old recipes made much healthier. I saw this potato salad recipe and want to make it for our next day out to the park.

The Good German Potato Salad
Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower, cored and roughly chopped
10 oz. baby red potatoes, roughly chopped
3 cups dry coleslaw mix
1 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
3 tbsp. precooked real crumbled bacon (like the kind by Oscar Mayer)
2 tbsp. Hellmann's/Best Foods Dijonnaise
1/2 tbsp. granulated sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
Dash black pepper
1/4 cup chopped scallions

Directions:
Place cauliflower and potatoes in a large microwave-safe bowl with 1/3 cup water. Cover and microwave for 6 minutes. Stir, re-cover, and microwave for 8 minutes, or until tender. Once cool enough to handle, drain excess water and set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a large skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat on the stove. Add coleslaw mix and onion. Stirring frequently, cook until soft and slightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add contents of the skillet to the bowl with the cauliflower and potatoes. Set aside.

To make the dressing, combine all remaining ingredients except scallions in a microwave-safe bowl. Add 2 tbsp. water, stir, and microwave for 1 minute, or until warm. Mix thoroughly.

Add dressing to the large bowl with veggies and potatoes, and toss to coat. Add scallions, gently mix, and serve! (P.S. If you're making this ahead of time, refrigerate and then warm it up just before serving.)

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

Serving Size: heaping 3/4 cup 
Calories: 85 
Fat: 0.75g
 Sodium: 324mg
 Carbs: 16g
 Fiber: 3.25g
 Sugars: 6g
 Protein: 3.5g

You can find this and other recipe swaps here.

What do you bring on picnics? And, please go on one soon!