Healthy Recipes Healthy Holiday & Occasion Recipes Occasions Healthy Picnic Recipes 26 Low-Carb Recipes to Pack for a Picnic By Alex Loh Alex Loh Alex Loh is EatingWell's associate food editor. As part of the food team, she creates healthy, delicious recipes for the EatingWell audience. Alex also writes informative food and cooking articles that range from how to store ground beef to the best picks from Trader Joe's. Alex conducts product and taste tests to find the best options, from salad spinners to salsas. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on April 7, 2021 Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Instagram Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, has been with EatingWell for three years and works as the associate nutrition editor for the brand. She is a registered dietitian with a master's in food, nutrition and sustainability. In addition to EatingWell, her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Real Simple, Parents, Better Homes and Gardens and MyRecipes. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Eat outside with these healthy, portable recipes that are appropriate for a picnic. Whether it's a sandwich, side dish or dip that can be paired with veggies, these picnic recipes are low in carbohydrates. Recipes like Zucchini Noodle Pasta Salad and Fresh Fruit Salad are tasty and easy to pack in a basket for a fun meal. 01 of 26 Pickle Sub Sandwiches with Turkey & Cheddar View Recipe Cut down on carbs by swapping out the bread for slices of pickle to make these fun turkey and Cheddar sandwiches. Roma tomatoes are the perfect oblong shape for these mini sandwiches but feel free to use regular tomatoes--simply cut the slices in half so they fit nicely on the pickle sandwich. These sandwiches are an easy lunch, but they're also great on a party tray for a casual get-together. 02 of 26 Avocado-Yogurt Dip View Recipe Update your guacamole recipe by adding protein-packed yogurt to make a healthy dip recipe. For an extra kick, add minced jalapeño or your favorite hot sauce for some zing! Serve this healthy dip recipe with crunchy vegetables, pita chips or pretzels, or use as a sandwich spread. 03 of 26 Fresh Fruit Salad View Recipe This refreshing fruit salad is a classic combination that will be the favorite at any potluck or cookout. Serve with a creamy yogurt dressing to take this side (or dessert) to the next level. 04 of 26 Turkey & Cheddar Lettuce Wraps View Recipe Crispy green lettuce leaves hold the filling inside this low-carb turkey wrap. It's perfect for lunch or a quick, easy dinner on the go. 05 of 26 Zucchini Noodle "Pasta" Salad View Recipe This healthy zucchini noodle salad has all the flavors you love in a classic Mediterranean pasta salad but we've swapped in zoodles for wheat pasta, which makes the salad lighter, lower in carbs and gluten-free. Serve it with grilled chicken or fish for a light and healthy summer dinner. 06 of 26 Vinegary Coleslaw View Recipe Forget mayonnaise-laden coleslaw. The bright, clean flavors in this version go well with everything from tacos to barbecue. 07 of 26 Cucumber Turkey Sub Sandwich View Recipe When you're craving a sub but you don't want all the carbs, these turkey-and-cheese deli sandwiches on cucumber rolls are a healthy alternative. Hollow out a cucumber and fill it up with your favorite sandwich fillings for a crisp sub with less carbs and calories. Plus, you can easily pack these up for work, school or a picnic--no soggy bread! 08 of 26 Classic Hummus View Recipe It's easy to make hummus at home with just a few pantry items. Serve drizzled with your best-quality extra-virgin olive oil and chopped parsley. Mop it up with warm whole-wheat pita bread or cut-up vegetables. 09 of 26 Smashed Cucumber Salad with Lemon & Cumin View Recipe Don't skip salting the cucumbers in this quick cucumber salad recipe--just 10 minutes pulls out some of their excess moisture, concentrating the flavor and keeping the salad from being watered down. Serve as a healthy side dish at a summer cookout alongside burgers and hot dogs. 10 of 26 Classic Deviled Eggs View Recipe We love the taste of dill relish in the filling of this deviled egg recipe, but if you like a sweeter deviled egg' opt for sweet relish instead. Our secret to healthy, creamy deviled eggs with fewer calories is to swap out half the full-fat mayo for nonfat Greek yogurt. 11 of 26 Shrimp Cobb Salad View Recipe Cooked peeled shrimp is perfect for quick and healthy meals--here we use it in place of chicken in our simplified Cobb Salad. 12 of 26 Creamy Cucumber Salad View Recipe This creamy cucumber salad is an easy side dish for any summer BBQ. Bright dill and white-wine vinegar add fresh tartness to cucumbers and red onions. Enjoy this salad the day you prepare it so the ingredients don't turn watery. 13 of 26 Smoked Salmon Breakfast Wraps View Recipe This take on lox and cream cheese uses whole wheat tortillas instead of the traditional bagels. 14 of 26 Pimiento Cheese Dip View Recipe Aleppo pepper, a mild and fruity chile, is unusual yet a good fit for pimiento cheese in this easy twist on the classic Southern cheese dip. Ancho chile or even hot sauce works as well. 15 of 26 Tomato-Basil Zoodle Salad View Recipe Spiralized zucchini noodles make the perfect base for this colorful and flavorful salad--think pasta salad without all the carbs! It comes together quickly for a light lunch or easy side. Add grilled chicken, shrimp or chickpeas to make a heartier meal. 16 of 26 Cherry Chicken Lettuce Wraps View Recipe This chicken salad is made with a blend of light mayonnaise and fat-free Greek yogurt. Served on butterhead lettuce leaves instead of bread, and topped with sweet cherries and crunchy almonds, this recipe is a great choice for a light lunch. 17 of 26 Amish Broccoli Salad View Recipe This creamy broccoli and cauliflower salad has a fabulous crunch. The salad holds well and is perfect for potlucks and picnics. Our version has considerably less sugar than most Amish salad recipes and is lighter because we use a mixture of low-fat Greek yogurt and mayonnaise for the dressing. 18 of 26 Purple Fruit Salad View Recipe Serve this refreshing fruit salad featuring juicy plums, grapes and berries on its own or with other colorblock fruit salads (like red, green and orange) for a fun, crowd-pleasing rainbow side dish. 19 of 26 Creamy Spinach Dip View Recipe Try this light spinach dip made healthier with reduced-fat cream cheese, nonfat yogurt and low-fat cottage cheese instead of full-fat cheese, mayonnaise and sour cream. It will save you a whopping 84 calories and 10 grams of fat per serving when compared to traditional versions. Serve it with pita chips and crunchy vegetables or spread it on a sandwich. 20 of 26 Anchovy & Cherry Tomato Salad View Recipe This anchovy and tomato salad recipe has very few ingredients but absolutely sings with flavor when it's made with cherry tomatoes picked at their ripest. For the prettiest salad, use a combination of orange, yellow and red tomatoes. 21 of 26 Vegan Creamy Coleslaw View Recipe Classic coleslaw goes vegan in this easy barbecue side dish recipe. Eggless or vegan mayonnaise's mild flavor is indistinguishable from regular mayo in this coleslaw flavored with Dijon and cider vinegar. Look for it in the condiment section of large grocery stores or natural-foods stores. 22 of 26 Creamy Buffalo Chicken Salad View Recipe In this Buffalo wings-inspired chicken salad, Greek yogurt replaces more than half of the mayonnaise. We like the flavor of Frank's RedHot hot sauce, but Sriracha and Tabasco are delicious options too. Serve this healthy chicken salad as an open-face sandwich or scoop it on top of fresh salad greens. 23 of 26 Spicy Avocado Hummus View Recipe Guacamole meets chickpeas for a Cali-Middle East mashup in this healthy avocado hummus recipe. Jalapeños can be hot or not so much--taste and adjust for your palate. 24 of 26 Carrot-Cucumber Salad View Recipe Carrot salads are refreshing, and this one--with cucumbers, red onion and a zesty cilantro-chili vinaigrette--is sure to become a new favorite. It's excellent served with grilled fish. 25 of 26 Chicken, Charred Tomato & Broccoli Salad View Recipe This simple but substantial main-course salad gets its goodness from smoky skillet-blackened tomatoes and a dressing prepared right in the pan--maximizing all the flavor from the tomatoes. 26 of 26 Red Fruit Salad View Recipe Serve this refreshing fruit salad featuring juicy watermelon, grapes and berries on its own or with other colorblock fruit salads (like green, purple and orange) for a fun, crowd-pleasing rainbow side dish. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit