Can't forget dessert. These gorgeous (and guilt-free) popsicles might melt before you get to the park, but they're perfect for a backyard picnic -- which is sometimes the best kind, anyhow.
Ingredients (serves 6):
1 cup coconut water
1 cup pineapple juice
5 cups mixed greens
1 cup frozen mango chunks
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
1 tablespoon ground chia seeds
6 fresh strawberries, sliced thin
1/2 fresh mango, peeled and cut into thin slices (or extra frozen mango chunks, sliced thin)
6 small paper cups and wooden popsicle sticks, or a popsicle mold
Directions:
Add all ingredients (excluding the fresh fruit), in order, into a blender. Blend until smooth. Press 4 to 6 slices of fresh strawberries and mangos around the sides of your molds or paper cups, then pour in popsicle mix very gently to avoid disturbing the fruit. You want the fruit to show its bright color on the surface of the pops, so depending on your equipment, you may want to do add the fruit in stages, freezing the mixture into a slushy consistency between additions to hold the fruit in place. When the molds are filled, insert popsicle sticks and freeze until set.
Recipe courtesy of Earthbound Farm
Photo 14/15
Best Picnic Recipes: Rice Crispy Treat Bites
Enjoyed by kids and adults alike, these almond butter and agave-packed bites are surprisingly nutritious -- a must-add to your lineup of healthy dessert recipes.
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons almond butter
1/2 cup agave
3 cups brown rice cereal
Directions:
In a small saucepot, combine the first four ingredients. Heat on the stovetop until melted. Pour cereal into a large mixing bowl, then pour the melted mixture over the cereal and stir very well, making sure to coat all the cereal. Form mixture into balls, and let cool.
Recipe courtesy of Nutrition Styles
Photo 15/15
Best Picnic Recipes: Blood Orange Sangria
At your childhood picnics you had fruit juice, but now you're all grown up. Pack a thermos of this tangy white wine sangria to finish off your picnic spread right.
Ingredients:
6 blood oranges
2 bottles of pinot grigio
1 cup club soda
1/2 cup brandy
12 ounces strawberries, sliced
1 pint raspberries
1 apple, chopped
1/2 cup sugar
Directions:
Juice four blood oranges (you can do this by hand), discarding any seeds. Chop remaining blood oranges into pieces. In a large pitcher, combine wine, brandy, blood orange juice, club soda, apples, strawberries, raspberries and blood oranges. Stir well to combine. Add ice cubes and some of the leftover fruit.
Recipe courtesy of How Sweet It Is
One of the best things about summer: eating outdoors (preferably in the park, on a blanket, with a chilled bottle of wine). Summer is picnic season, and while classic picnic fare is fine for an impromptu gathering, we prefer our picnic dishes to be next-level, Instagram-worthy affairs. Anyone can slap together a basic cheese plate, but these easy, healthy recipes are the kind that taste as lovely as they look against a checkered blanket. Want to put your fellow picnickers to shame without blowing your summer diet? From inventive new recipes to nutritious takes on traditional picnic cuisine, these are all the picnic food ideas you need to have the best summer spread on social media.
