Easy Picnic Food Ideas to Enjoy in the Great Outdoors

Ready for some easy picnic food ideas? Now is the perfect time to head out into nature and enjoy lunch outdoors! Of course, picnic season is never over and we can have them any time of the year. All we need is a good location, nice weather and some great company. One is always looking for some great easy picnic food ideas to take outdoors that are not only healthy but easy and fast to make.

Easy picnic food ideas that are delicious and healthy too

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  • Chinese Chicken and Noodle Salad

This delicious salad is crisp and crunchy and really easy to make. Just take some chicken breast and toss it with slivered almonds and noodles. The dressing that will go prefect with this is orange, ginger and sesame.

  • Pasta salad

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Another ideal choice for easy picnic food ideas is pasta salad and this can be made with any of those leftovers from the day before. Just cook your favorite pasta shape and stir in your favorite dressing along with cooked veggies. You can also add a handful of frozen peas, bacon bits, potato chip crumbs etc. to make this signature dish for picnic.

  • Wraps and Sandwiches

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These are easy to make.  Just take wraps or tortillas and fill up with tomato, spinach or any other meat stuffing like ham or tuna. You can also use banana slices and add in some honey. Basically, anything goes with sandwiches! We love Butterball Turkey Bacon sandwiches for our picnics!

  • Baked Chicken Tenders

baked chicken tenders and roasted cauliflower3

Those chicken bites simply taste awesome, whether warm or cold. Add honey mustard dressing or Blue cheese to add to the taste. These are always a big favorite with all, especially kids when on a picnic.

  • Strawberry-Rhubarb Pies

The crispy rhubarb tart flavor just goes perfectly with sweet strawberries. Enjoy the freshness of Strawberry with their rich flavors in those Pies. These are a great favorite with kids.

  • Curried Egg Salad

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This is an easy one! Just take hard-boiled eggs, curry powder, fresh lime juice, mustard, curry powder, pepper, red onion and mix them up. You can also add diced apple. Try spreading it over whole-wheat or rye bread!

  • Cold Peanut Noodles

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Cook those egg noodles or even the regular spaghetti. Drain them out in cold water and rinse. Toss in some sesame oil, sugar, vinegar, peanut butter, black pepper, soy sauce and chili oil. You can also add cooked shrimp, shredded cucumber and chopped scallions. You can try this Chinese New Year egg noodle recipe.

Enjoy making the above easy picnic food ideas that are just right for a perfect picnic menu. Now you need not rack your brains as to what menu to decide for your picnic. Pick from any of the above easy to follow picnic food ideas. And don’t forget to check our List of picnic items under $100.

33 thoughts on “Easy Picnic Food Ideas to Enjoy in the Great Outdoors”

  1. My family and I are hoping to go on a picnic before the summer is over. These are wonderful ideas that I’ll have to definitely keep in mind!

  2. I love making almost any food into a picnic food. Find a little spot in the park, and open a basket and some wine and your are set. Great ideas. Love pasta salad of almost any kind.

  3. Rebecca Swenor

    These are awesome easy picnic food ideas indeed. I would love the Strawberry Rhubarb pie. Yummy!!! We usually just have sub sandwiches but I might have to try the chicken tenders. The noodle salad my family would love but I don’t eat vinegar. Thanks for sharing.

  4. Fi Ní Neachtáin

    Really great picnic food suggestions and all foods that I love too. I love the look of that pasta salad, carbonara like that is one of my favourites :)

  5. Omg too funny!! I just got a new picnic blanket and was just on Pinterest looking up some food ideas. Might have to steal one of yours ;-)

  6. Did someone say pie–fruit pie–Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie? I love Rhubarb and Strawberries even when it is not in a pie–I could eat it year round!!

  7. Pasta salad is always a great choice for converting leftovers into picnic food. It travels pretty easily and tastes great without prep once you get where you are going.

  8. These look like amazing recipes for a picnic! I love the Chinese chicken and noodles and cold peanut noodle recipes. And breaded chicken is always amazing for us and the kids!
    Just make sure you keep it all chilled while you are outdoors!

  9. Great suggestions! We absolutely love wraps and salads. I have never actually heard of curried egg but it sounds like it would be yummy.

  10. These are great ideas, especially when you’re tired of the same old, same old! I would never have thought of take chicken bites (which my kids love) or peanut noodles (which I love) on a picnic, but I bet both would be really popular!

  11. These are some delicious looking ideas and now I need to have a picnic! I especially love the Chinese Noodle Salad and the pasta salad! I can go for either of those any time!

  12. What a great highlight of easy picnic food ideas! I love them all! I wish the weather was a little kinder to have BBQ’s and picnics outdoor! The sun and warmth hopefully will be returning soon!

  13. Pasta is a favorite of mine year-round. I love it most in the summer though because it’s nice and light.

  14. We love picnics and these are all wonderful ideas. I can’t wait to try all these, especially the pasta salad.

  15. I love picnics and really love them when I don’t have to bring any food, LOL. Pasta salads are always great and so easy to make. Strawberry rhubarb pie is one of my favorites so I would be all over that.

  16. Alaina Bullock

    Yum! So may great picnic food ideas! I love how easy the majority are are to make, too! I haven’t been on a picnic in so long – sounds like a great idea!

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