Healthy Summer Picnic Recipes

Find healthy, delicious summer picnic recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.

Staff Picks

Japanese Cucumber Salad

Rating: Unrated
20
This Japanese-inspired cool, crisp salad is as elegant and well balanced as it is simple.
By Jessie Price

Tomato, Cucumber & White-Bean Salad with Basil Vinaigrette

Rating: Unrated
3
This no-cook bean salad is a delicious way to use summer's best cherry or grape tomatoes and juicy cucumbers for a light dinner or lunch. Fresh basil elevates an easy vinaigrette recipe that dresses up this simple salad into something extraordinary.
By Carolyn Casner

No-Cook Black Bean Salad

Rating: Unrated
3
A classic black bean salad is a must for picnics and potlucks. This vegan version gets its creaminess from blended avocado. Any mix of salad greens will work well, but try arugula if you want to give this hearty salad a peppery kick.
By Hilary Meyer

Lemon-Raspberry Muffins

Rating: Unrated
56
The secret to the sparkling flavor of these delicately crumbed muffins is the strips of lemon zest finely ground into the sugar. Enjoy the muffins warm right from the oven.
By Marie Simmons

Chilaquiles Casserole

Rating: Unrated
172
Our version of this enchilada-style chilaquiles casserole is packed with nutritious beans and vegetables. Canned prepared enchilada sauce has great flavor and keeps the prep time quick. It can vary in heat level so find one that suits your taste. If you want to eliminate the heat altogether, try a green enchilada sauce (which is often milder than red) or substitute two 8-ounce cans of plain tomato sauce.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Blueberry Muffin Bars

Rating: Unrated
2
With all the supersize muffins out there, portion control can be a challenge. These let you enjoy the flavors of a blueberry muffin, and easily keep track of what you eat.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Mediterranean Tuna Antipasto Salad

Rating: Unrated
26
Packed with protein and fiber, this tuna and bean salad is ready in a flash. For an extra kick, add a pinch of crushed red pepper or cayenne.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Vegetarian Taco Salad

Rating: Unrated
48
Nobody will miss the meat in this colorful, zesty vegetarian taco salad. The rice and bean mixture can be made ahead and the salad quickly assembled at mealtime. Recipe by Nancy Baggett for EatingWell.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Chicken Club Wraps

Rating: Unrated
1
Whole-wheat tortillas provide a tasty twist in this quick grilled chicken breast recipe that combines all the elements of a classic club sandwich into a wrap. Serve with extra napkins.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Italian Pesto Chicken Salad

Rating: Unrated
4
Prepared pesto is the secret ingredient in this lightened-up, healthy creamy chicken salad recipe. For the prettiest dressing, go for a bright-green colored pesto. Serve the salad open-face on toasted bread or scoop it on top of fresh salad greens.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Spinach Salad with Warm Maple Dressing

Rating: Unrated
5
Pure maple syrup, as opposed to artificially flavored and colored “pancake” syrup, is an extraordinary cooking ingredient. Here it adds body as well as rich flavor to the dressing, providing a perfect counterpoint to the smoked cheese.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Cucumber-Yogurt Salad

Rating: Unrated
2
A refreshing accompaniment to a main course of meat or fish, this cucumber-yogurt salad also makes a tasty filling for pita bread. If the cucumbers are grated instead of chopped, this mixture can be served as a dip.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Inspiration and Ideas

Almond Butter-Quinoa Blondies

Almond Butter-Quinoa Blondies

People likely won't even notice that these delicately nutty, just a little chocolaty, blondies are gluten-free. They use quinoa flour in place of all-purpose flour.
Cherry, Wild Rice & Quinoa Salad

Cherry, Wild Rice & Quinoa Salad

This whole-grain wild rice and quinoa salad recipe is perfect for toting to summer potlucks. If you can find red quinoa, it's particularly pretty.
Spicy Tuna Wrap

Spicy Tuna Wrap

Kid-Friendly Recipes for Summer Picnics and Cookouts

Kid-Friendly Recipes for Summer Picnics and Cookouts

Blackened Salmon Sandwich

Blackened Salmon Sandwich

Rating: Unrated
16
Cucumber-Mint Spritzer

Cucumber-Mint Spritzer

Dairy-Free Banana Rice Pudding

Rating: Unrated
8

This rice pudding is dairy-free, but the bananas and rice milk make it so creamy and rich-tasting, no one will know the difference.

All Healthy Summer Picnic Recipes

Greens with Parmesan Vinaigrette

Rating: Unrated
5
Make a simple vinaigrette more interesting with freshly grated Parmesan.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Purple Fruit Salad

Rating: Unrated
2
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.
By Carolyn Casner

Watermelon Gin Fizz

Rating: Unrated
2
This pretty pink cocktail would be perfect for a bridal shower luncheon. Any leftover pureed juice is refreshing on its own.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Pesto Pasta Salad

Rating: Unrated
1
A creamy pesto sauce turns this simple pasta salad into a delightful dinner. Adding broccoli to the pasta cooking water just before the pasta is done is a convenient way to briefly cook it so that it turns a vivid shade of green and softens slightly.
By Carolyn Casner

Avocado & Shrimp Chopped Salad

Rating: Unrated
12
The smoky flavors of grilled shrimp and corn in this healthy chopped salad recipe are a tasty match for the creamy cilantro dressing.
By Romney Steele

"Use a Spoon" Chopped Salad

Rating: Unrated
13
When Paul Newman and Michel Nischan opened their Westport, Connecticut, restaurant Dressing Room, Paul's request was that the menu always include a chopped salad that you could eat with a spoon. This chopped salad recipe is full of great flavors, colors and textures, featuring celery, carrots, red pepper, apple, cucumber, greens, cabbage, goat cheese and almonds. This is great for any holiday meal: you can let it stand and it stays crisp.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Cucumber & Black-Eyed Pea Salad

Rating: Unrated
18
An easy salad to serve with grilled chicken or steak for supper or on a bed of greens for a satisfying lunch. Substitute white beans or chickpeas for the black-eyed peas if you prefer.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Mexican Pasta Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing

Rating: Unrated
8
Everyone will love this Mexican-inspired pasta salad recipe. We lighten up the creamy dressing with avocado for a healthier version of a picnic favorite.
By Breana Killeen

Curried Potato Salad

In this healthy and creamy potato salad recipe, yogurt replaces half of the mayo and we keep the potato skins on for more fiber and potassium. Red bell pepper and green peas add even more color to the yellow-tinted potato salad.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Clean-Eating Bento Box Lunch

Rating: Unrated
1
Who says bento boxes are just for kids? This healthy bento-style lunch--loaded with clean, satisfying foods--is perfect to pack for work.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Vegetable & Tuna Pasta Salad

Rating: Unrated
3
This delicious pasta salad recipe is made with zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes, arugula and chunk light tuna, which is lower in mercury than white albacore tuna. For the best flavor, combine the pasta salad with the dressing about 1 hour before serving. If you're looking for an environmentally sustainable canned tuna option, check the label--tuna that was caught by troll or pole-and-line is considered the best choice, according to Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch Program. Or look for the blue Certified Sustainable Seafood label from the Marine Stewardship Council.
By Stacy Fraser

Chickpea Salad

Rating: Unrated
6
Feta cheese and chickpeas lend a Mediterranean flair to this satisfying side salad. The Creamy Dill Ranch is great with it, but would also be good with a tangy vinaigrette.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Slow-Cooker Brisket Sandwiches with Quick Pickles

Rating: Unrated
2
Make your BBQ or cookout easy with this slow-cooker beef brisket recipe. Rauchbier, a smoky German beer, gives this fork-tender brisket real pit-barbecue flavor, but you can use any beer that suits your taste, or even substitute beef broth, to achieve mouthwatering results. While the brisket is cooking, whip up the quick pickle recipe and stir together a garlic mayo to top off the sandwiches.
By Carolyn Malcoun

Mediterranean Baked Penne

Rating: Unrated
11
This Italian-inspired take on an American casserole is about as tasty as a one-dish meal can get.
By G. Franco Romagnoli

Parsley Tabbouleh

Rating: Unrated
9
Serve this tart, parsley-dominated tabbouleh at your next backyard gathering.
By Jessie Price

Carrot-Cucumber Salad

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.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Crunchy Bok Choy Slaw

Rating: Unrated
4
A versatile side dish to go with grilled meats or poultry. Crispy, crunchy and thoroughly delicious.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Tuscan-Style Tuna Salad

Rating: Unrated
40
This streamlined version of a northern Italian idea is perfect for a summer evening: no-fuss, no-cook and big taste. You can even make it ahead and store it, covered, in the refrigerator for several days. If you do, use it as a wrap filling for the next day's lunch.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Cucumber Salad

Rating: Unrated
6
Sliced cucumbers tossed with rice-wine vinegar make for a refreshing and simple summer salad.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Everyone Loves This Fruitcake

Rating: Unrated
2
Ah, the maligned fruitcake. Many store-bought varieties, stuffed with unrecognizable candied bits, deserve their bad reputation--but not these wonderful cakes, made with a generous serving of dried fruit and candied orange peel in a light batter. There's only one trick: buy the best-quality, moist dried and candied fruit you can afford.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Italian White Bean Salad

This Italian white bean salad is healthy and delicious. The capers and rosemary-lemon dressing add wonderful flavor to the cannellini beans and chopped tomato.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

8-Layer Taco Salad

Rating: Unrated
8
This gorgeous and colorful 8-layer taco salad recipe is made healthier by using ground turkey in place of beef, adding Greek yogurt and bumping up the amount of vegetables. Serve this salad in a clear glass bowl and you'll have an eye-catching party-worthy dinner or potluck side in just 30 minutes.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Ratatouille

Rating: Unrated
1
Bursting with fresh vegetables, this classic Provençal stew is wonderful with eggs, pasta or grilled fish.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Skinny Guacamole

Rating: Unrated
2
This delicious guacamole recipe replaces half the amount of high-calorie avocado in a traditional guacamole recipe with a stealth, low-calorie vegetable--zucchini--to cut 100 calories and 6 grams of fat so we can eat more guacamole with fewer calories. We use the microwave to cook the zucchini until it's very tender, but you can steam it on the stovetop if you prefer.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen
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