by Amy Fletcher
Typically, people indulge in a picnic at least 3 times per year, according to National Picnic Week. Many families say planning the perfect picnic is stressful and, if you’re a vegan family, it can be even more stressful as you try to think of vegan alternatives to picnic staples such as cheese sandwiches, sausage rolls, coleslaw, and quiche. But these tips will ensure your vegan picnic goes without a hitch from start to finish.
Get the kids involved in food prep
The day before your planned picnic, get in the kitchen with the kids and knock up a few tasty treats ready to put in your picnic bag the following morning. Research shows that kids who help their parents to cook make healthier food choices than those who don’t. One study even found that vegetable preference was 10% higher in children who helped to prepare their own meals. This is great news for vegan families wanting to give their children a diet that’s as healthy as possible. Simple vegan picnic recipes that your kids will love to make include vegetable samosas, crispy stuffed tofu pockets, hummus and avocado pitta sandwiches, black bean burgers, and Moroccan falafels. Once completed, make sure you store everything in a sealable container in the fridge so that all you have to do is pop them all in your picnic bag just before you head out the door.
Utilize vegan convenience foods
There’s no need to spend the entire day before your family picnic cooking up vegan snacks for your picnic as there are plenty of vegan convenience foods on the market that you can top your picnic basket up with. In 2019, almost 1 in 4 food items launched in the UK were vegan, according to the Independent, while 95% of stores in the U.S. currently sell plant-based meat products. This means you can easily grab vegan sausage rolls and pasties without having to make them yourself. Of course, there are plenty of ‘accidentally vegan’ snacks you can turn to, too. Oreos, Fox’s Party Rings, Cracker Jacks, and Kettle Potato Chips are just a few readily available grocery store items that contain no animal-derivatives and are ideal picnic add-ons.
Choose a great picnic spot
Picking the right picnic spot is a key way to enjoy your vegan family picnic. If you select a picnic spot that’s overly popular, you may find yourself surrounded by families cooking meat products on BBQs, which is sure to spoil your day. To be on the safe side, you need to choose a large area, such as a park, that’s spacious enough for multiple families to enjoy their day without imposing on each other or you need to find a relatively unknown spot that’s not typically frequented by families. Often this will mean traveling slightly further afield, so you’ll need to make sure that you’ve got a reliable family vehicle that you can be certain will get you safely to your destination. As you’ll likely be heading out of town, your vehicle will also need to be spacious enough to fit in additional items, such as blankets, cushions, and even some fun games and activities to help you enjoy your day.
Think of the environment
As a vegan family, you’ll automatically have a carbon footprint that’s up to 73% lower than a meat-eating family. But you mustn’t let your picnic deter you from your usual environmentally-friendly habits. When you’re packing your picnic, avoid disposable paper plates, plastic cups, and plastic cutlery. Instead, opt for reusable items instead that you can take with you on your future family picnics. Single-use plastic bottles should also be avoided as they often end up cluttering up green spaces or being washed out to sea and consumed by innocent animals. Some picnic spots won’t have waste cans either, so be prepared to take your own trash home with you in Tupperware boxes or similar for appropriate disposal.
There is no better way to indulge in a variety of vegan foods than by having a family picnic in the great outdoors. Whether it’s your first family vegan picnic or your hundredth, these tips will ensure that your picnic is satisfying in every way possible.
Author Bio: Amy Fletcher is a freelance writer and researcher with a keen interest in business management. In recent years she has written for various online magazines, journals, and blogs. When she’s not writing she enjoys long walks with her daughter and two dogs.
