Packing a Picnic

The weather is ripe for a meal enjoyed outdoors. Be it lunch with the family under a shade tree at Zilker Park or dinner with your sweetie beneath the stars at Auditorium Shores, packing a picnic is an opportunity to be fun and creative. But don’t let that be an excuse to throw caution to the wind and forget your food conscience.

Our friends at Central Market show just how you can arrange a beautiful, gourmet picnic spread and yet still be thoughtful about ingredients. 

Salami: This cured sausage is a picnic staple, and can be stored at room temperature. The salty texture pairs perfectly with a cracker or bread, cheese, and even fruit. Think of it as the foundation to a slider sandwich.

Hummus: Full of protein-packed garbanzo beans, hummus is also a diverse option for any picnic combination. Use it as a spread for a sandwich or wrap, or as a rich and yummy dip for fresh vegetables and crackers.

Brie and Assorted Cheeses: Just one serving of cheese can contain 5 or 6 grams of protein and will also provide the necessary fat to balance out your meal. Just be sure to watch your serving sizes.

Ocean’s Halo Seaweed Chips: Made from seaweed and other natural ingredients, these little crunchy suckers are also gluten-free. With a variety of flavors, they can be enjoyed alone or paired with salsa or a dip.

Crunchmaster Crackers: These multi-grain crackers are also a gluten-free alternative to processed wheat crackers. With a blend of whole grain brown rice, stone-ground corn, oat fiber, and a four-seed blend, Crunchmaster Multi-Grain Crackers are oven baked and come in three flavors.

Marcona Almonds: The Marcona almond is recognizably different from other almonds; it’s short and round, tastes relatively sweet, and is delicate in texture. Marcona almonds are traditionally served after being lightly fried in oil.

Satisfy your sweet tooth with double chocolate chip cookies from Tate’s Bake Shop. Loads of semi-sweet chocolate chips are worked into to a dense dark chocolate cookie made with rice flour, so they’re delightfully gluten free.