Love… packing a picnic with the feel good factor

Easy ways to dish up a sustainable feast


There’s something special about eating al fresco. Whether you’re feeling the sand between your toes, stretched out under a leafy canopy, or gathered in your garden, a picnic makes a dining room of the great outdoors. With no table manners, no rules, and permission to run around the moment you finish eating, picnics are paradise for kids too. 

 

Let’s look after our favourite picnic spots for years to come, with feasts that fill us up but stay light on the planet. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

 

Love… eating seasonally

As we move through spring and into summer, we get a great choice of locally-grown food. Asparagus, cucumbers and spinach are all in season, as well as the zingy flavours of rhubarb. Add lettuce, rocket, radishes, new potatoes and baby carrots to your picnics into June, and enjoy beautifully ripe strawberries, raspberries and cherries. Seasonal foods not only taste better and reduce your food miles, they also keep their nutrients as they don’t have to travel so far.

 

Co-op Strawberries Punnet 750g / Co-op Baby Potatoes 750g

 

Love… reducing food waste

Picnics are a great opportunity to eat up leftovers, or quickly make some rolls, wraps or sandwiches with the ingredients you’ve got in your fridge. Fancy something different? Try savoury muffins, frittatas, crudites with dips, or pasta salads. Pack food in containers; anything you don’t eat can be kept for later, rather than binned. Take a compostable bag for food waste like banana skins and apple cores. 

 

If you don’t have time to make your own dishes from scratch, we’ve got plenty of delicious picnic food on offer at 3 for 2.

 

On selected Co-op picnic foods, see shelf edge for details. Offer from 12th may 2021.

 

Love… ditching the disposables

Create a home-from-home with reusable plates and bowls, like those in our bamboo fibre range, and glasses. Protect food in reusable containers rather than cling film, or wrap sturdy foods like baguettes in tea towels – which can double as napkins. 

 

Take cutlery from home, or buy a picnic set; switch plastic straws for paper. Don’t forget the humble insulated stainless steel flask – they’re a real picnic pal. Use them to keep water cold and coffee hot – and even fill them with ice cream! Finally, don’t forget to take a washable bag to fill up with dirty plates. 

 

Between outings, put everything in a pack (along with a picnic blanket) so it’s ready to go at a moment’s notice. With all you need in one place, you’re less likely to have to buy extra dishes or disposable bottles while you’re out. 

 

 

Love… getting on your bike

Rather than getting into the car, see if you can find new picnic spots within cycling distance. You can load up your picnic into the panniers, you’ll get some exercise and discover new places on your doorstep.

 

With International Picnic Day coming up on June 18th, there’s never been a better time to start thinking about al fresco dining. So gather your friends and family and start exploring your local area – and let us know the hidden gems you find.


 

 

 

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