Ideas and Tips for Vegan Picnic Recipes

Ready for the tastiest vegan picnic? Try these vegan picnic recipes, plus use these tips for summer picnic food safety!

variety of picnic foods on a wooden board over top of a picnic blanket

Vegan picnic recipes

When it comes to putting together a healthy vegan picnic, it helps to have some go-to vegan picnic recipes. Use these ones:

lupini bean salad in a small bowl

Appetizers and Sides

Italian Lupini Bean Salad with Crushed Pistachio
from my own blog
Check out this recipe
lupini bean salad
Black-Eyed Pea Hummus
from Nija Clark at The Vgn Way
Check out this recipe
black eyed pea hummus
Vegan Hummus Pizza with Mushrooms and Onion
from my own blog
Check out this recipe
Vegan Hummus Pizza with Mushrooms and Onion
Olive Hummus
from Julie Kay Andrews, MS, RDN, author of The 28-Day DASH Diet Weight-Loss Program
Check out this recipe
Broccoli Slaw Recipe
from my own blog
Check out this recipe
Watermelon, Cucumber, and Mint Salad
from Cindy Chou, RDN and chef at The Sound of Cooking
Check out this recipe
watermelon mint salad
Vegan Pasta Salad
from Amy Williams at Nourish Plate
Check out this recipe
Three Bean Salad Recipe
from Jessica Randhawa at The Forked Spoon
Check out this recipe
three bean salad
oven baked tofu on a white plate next to chop sticks

Mains

Delicious Baked Tofu
from my own blog
Check out this recipe
oven baked tofu on a white plate next to chop sticks
Chickpea Sunflower Sandwich
Check out this recipe
chickpea sunflower sandwich
Vegan Power Bowl with Maple-Dijon Dressing
from my own blog
Check out this recipe
Vegan Power Bowl with Maple-Dijon Dressing
Vegan Maine Lobster Rolls
from Rebecca Pytell at Strength & Sunshine
Check out this recipe
Vegan Cutlets
from Alpa Jain at Culinary Shades
Check out this recipe
Vegan Gluten-Free Quiche
from Nija Clark at The Vgn Way
Check out this recipe
vegan gluten free quiche
Black Bean Burgers
from Stephanie Collazo at Clean Food Mama
Check out this recipe
black bean burger
Vegan Tofu Wraps
from Ann Otis at Our Happy Mess
Check out this recipe
vegan tofu wraps
chocolate cupcakes with thick chocolate frosting on top

Desserts

Vegan Avocado Chocolate Mousse
from my own blog
Check out this recipe
Vegan Avocado Chocolate Mousse
Air-Fryer Nectarines
from Ann Evers at Air Fryer Everything
Check out this recipe
air-fryer nectarines
Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes
from my own blog
Check out this recipe
vegan gluten free chocolate cupcakes on a wire rack
Vegan Doughnuts
from Christina Conte at Christina's Cucina
Check out this recipe
doughnuts
Peanut Butter No-Egg Cookies
from my own blog
Check out this recipe
Top down view of baked cookies on a cookie sheet
Vegan Carrot Cake Cookie Sandwiches
from Mel Blake at Food Wine & Love
Check out this recipe
carrot cake sandwich cookies
Oat Flour Cookies
from Gwen Leron at Delightful Adventures
Check out this recipe
oat flour chocolate chip cookies
prune juice cocktail in a clear glass with a lime wedge on the rim

Drinks

Prune Juice Cocktail
from my own blog
Check out this recipe
How about a refreshing prune juice cocktail? This cocktail is ready in under 5 minutes and adds a healthy take to happy hour!
Cucumber Pineapple Juice
from my own blog
Check out this recipe
green cucumber juice with pineapple slice
Virgin Prune Juice Pineapple Sangria
from my own blog
Check out this recipe
Virgin Prune Juice Pineapple Sangria + Rosemary Syrup Recipe
Tropical Green Tea Mocktail
from my own blog
Check out this recipe
tropical green tea sangria in glass cups
Vegan Chocolate Milk
from Kayla Daniels at The Dairy-Free Menu
Check out this recipe
vegan chocolate milk
Sparkling Rose Sangria
from Sunena Anand at The Sassy Foodie
Check out this recipe
Pink Grapefruit Mocktail
from Meredith Kruse at Our Love Language is Food
Check out this recipe
pink grapefruit mocktail
fresh fruits and bagels topped with avocado slices arranged on top of a wooden board and picnic blanket

6 healthy picnic tips

Now that you have your menu of vegan picnic recipes set, let’s talk tips to help your picnic go as seamless as possible.

Use these tips for a tasty, calorie-friendly, and easy picnic. You’ll also find food safety picnic safety tips here!

1. Prep healthy sides in advance

Think about preparing food the night before. “My go-to picnic recipes are whole-grain and bean salads because they taste better when you make them the day before,” says Christy Brissette, MS, RD, author of Everyday Low Carb.

2. Cool your food

Keep your food cold by packing it with frozen water bottles. That’s right, don’t pack drinks in separate coolers! As the weather warms and the bottles melt, you’ll have really cold water to drink!

This tip helps to keep perishable food safe to eat, and hopefully your cooked food won’t even get to room temperature. You want to keep harmful bacteria away!

3. Pack ingredients for wraps

When think up vegan picnic recipes, think easy sandwiches. Use Boston lettuce, flatbreads, or light whole-grain tortillas as the base. “Mixing and matching is a fun way to have a picnic,” says Bridget Swinney, MS, RD, author of Eating Expectantly.

Add shredded vegan cheese, hummus, cooked tofu crumbles, bagged salad, julienned carrots, and sliced cucumber to your picnic basket. Don’t forget to bring along paper towels or napkins.

4. Make a salad in a jar

“To keep things easy and neat, consider layered salads in mason jars so you can replace the lid and carry empty and dirty jars home to pop in the dishwasher,” says Judy Barbe, author of Your 6-Week Guide to LiveBest.

5. Use a lighter condiment

Here’s a reason that eating vegan is great for a picnic: “Even if your salads are chilled, mayo-based foods will spoil quicker.,” says Sarah Pflugradt, MS, RDN, author of Favorite Family Meals.

Choose olive and avocado oils. This is an especially important tip for prepping pasta salad.

6. Pack ready-to-eat fruit

“To make prep easier, focus on fruit like grapes, fresh raspberries, and apples that you just need to wash and put into a container rather than cut,” says Elizabeth Ward, MS, RD, author of Expect the Best.

bottle of wine with wine glasses and a picnic basket on a field of grass

Sources

  • Julie Kay Andrews, MS, RDN, author of The 28-Day DASH Diet Weight-Loss Program
  • Cindy Chou, RDN and chef at The Sound of Cooking
  • Amy Williams at Nourish Plate
  • Jessica Randhawa at The Forked Spoon
  • Kidney Nutrition Institute
  • Rebecca Pytell at Strength & Sunshine
  • Alpa Jain at Culinary Shades
  • Ann Evers at Air Fryer Everything
  • Nija Clark at The Vgn Way
  • Stephanie Collazo at Clean Food Mama
  • Ann Otis at Our Happy Mess
  • Christina Conte at Christina’s Cucina
  • Mel Blake at Food Wine & Love
  • Gwen Leron at Delightful Adventures
  • Kayla Daniels at The Dairy-Free Menu
  • Sunena Anand at The Sassy Foodie
  • Meredith Kruse at Our Love Language is Food
  • Christy Brissette, MS, RD, author of Everyday Low Carb
  • Bridget Swinney, MS, RD, author of Eating Expectantly
  • Judy Barbe, author of Your 6-Week Guide to LiveBest
  • Sarah Pflugradt, MS, RDN, author of Favorite Family Meals
  • Elizabeth Ward, MS, RD, author of Expect the Best
Ready for the tastiest vegan picnic? Try these vegan picnic recipes, plus use these tips for summer picnic food safety!

I’d love to hear from you! What other nutritious picnic foods do you enjoy?

Plant-Based Eating |

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