The 10 best picnic swaps of all time

During the summer months, nothing beats a nice picnic out in the sunshine – but as fun as picnics are, the traditional kind can be far from healthy, which is why we’ve found the 10 best picnic swaps of all time. Rather than feeling sluggish, you’ll feel great afterwards – it’s amazing what a difference a few simple swaps and changes can make!

Swap: pies

For: salads

To avoid the temptation of pastries and pies, prepare a few different vegetable salads ahead of time with different dressings and vinaigrettes. They taste fresh, delicious, and help to fill your plates with healthy vegetables, instead of fatty, less nutritional foods.

Swap: focaccia

For: sourdough

We all know the bloated feeling after indulging in lots of white bread. To reduce this, try swapping your bread rolls for wholemeal brown, or make your sandwiches from sourdough or sprouted pure grain breads for something more nutritious.

Swap: crisps

For: rice cakes

Instead of snacking on oily crisps, try buying healthier options to eat like rice cakes, kale crisps, seaweed thins or natural popcorn. These all still taste great, but come without the artificial flavourings and additives.

Swap: sour cream dip

For: houmous

Lots of shop-bought dips pack in the fat and salt. So when it comes to choosing dips, choose the lighter options like salsa or houmous. You can even make things like guacamole at home, as they’re quick to prepare and always taste better than shop bought!

Swap: tortilla chips

For: crudités

When it comes to eating your dips, try ditching the crackers and chips, and swap them for sticks of veggies. Carrots, cucumber, pepper and even avocado taste delicious when sliced into strips and dunked into a dip.

Swap: traditional pizza

For: cauliflower pizza

One of my all-time picnic favourites has to be cold pizza. The traditional kind is far from healthy, but your own homemade version doesn’t have to be. Try making your own pizza with a cauliflower base, and lots of vegetable toppings for a lighter alternative.

Swap: pasta

For: courgetti

To avoid the heaviness you feel after a picnic meal, try swapping some of your grains for a raw alternative. Substitute your couscous for cauliflower and the pasta in your salads for courgetti to create a lighter, fresher taste.

Swap: chocolate

For: fresh fruit

Picnics are often filled with sweet treats and snacks. To avoid the e-numbers from a pic’n’mix, prepare for the day ahead with lots fresh fruit like berries and grapes, or chop up a big fruit salad.

Swap: ginger beer

For: raw juice

Fizzy drinks and squash are packed with nasty ingredients and artificial sweeteners. To refresh your palette, swap these for homemade smoothies, raw juices, or fruit water!

Swap: cakes

For: energy balls

For those with a sweet tooth, try ditching the naughty cake for treats like energy balls, homemade sugar free muffins or raw cookies. They’re still delicious and are far healthier than your standard cake!