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Summer Food On the Go

You Can Take it With You

We love summer. It means road trips, camping and lazy days at the beach. But you know that wherever we go, we always have one thing on our minds: "What are we going to eat?"

So do like we do when you’re out and about this summer; sail past those fast food traps and enjoy the best that summer offers in the way of easy meals and seasonal summer snacks to keep you eating well, no matter how far you are from home.

The Secret Ingredient: Preparation

When it comes to preparing summer picnics, road food or beach snacks keep two words in mind: simple and good. Keeping things easy and using the best ingredients are key to making any recipe to take on-the-go. And with summer fruits and vegetables juicy, fragrant and bountiful, we couldn’t ask for anything more.

So first things first: Just like when you’re cooking at home, a little common sense planning before you head out the door helps ensure stress-free dining on down the road. Think ahead about where and when hunger will strike:

  • Hitting the road? Pack healthy snacks. Make sure at least some of them don't need to be in the cooler to avoid frequent opening and closing. Pack refreshing drinks and cold water, too.

  • Going camping or to the beach where you can cook out? Pre-marinate fish, chicken or tempeh to cook on your first night out. Pack frozen items to thaw for the second night, or bring canned goods that open and heat up easily.

  • Consider trying out new recipes at home first to make sure you like the dish before packing it along on a trip. The road’s no place to find out you don’t like that pasta salad.

  • Transporting food in summer heat and consuming it outdoors has its own set of hazards. Not to worry, however. Pack lots of ice and cold packs and check on cold food often to make sure it’s in good shape.

Packing Up the Good Stuff

Appetizers

With food-on-the-go, we classify "appetizers" as finger foods that don't require additional preparation when you’re ready to eat. They’re perfect for snacking on in the car or munching around the campsite before the big meal.

  • Whole-grain breads, pita bread, all-natural snack crackers and chips are great to munch on.

  • Look for dips and spreads in the prepared food section of the store or make a few of our favorites: Baba Ghanouj, Black Bean Hummus, Cream Cheese and Cashew Nut Dip, or Guacamole. Pack them with corn chips, sliced cucumbers, baby carrots or sticks of jicama for dipping.

  • Assorted roasted nuts — honey roasted, tamari roasted, chile roasted or plain — are always a hit.

  • Cut your favorite hard or semi-hard cheeses into cubes and pack in an airtight container for snacking.

  • Look for prepared trail mix, or throw together your favorite dried fruits, nuts and seeds from our bulk section to make your own.

  • You can’t go wrong with getting your fruits and veggies. Think grapes, carrots, cherry tomatoes, apples and celery sticks.

  • Marinated olives, mushrooms and roasted peppers from our olive bar are perfect for chilled picnic appetizers.

  • One word: popcorn.

  • Chocolate Chip Granola Bars with dried fruit and nuts will become a fast favorite for snacking on road trips or camping trips since they’re easy to throw in your backpack and eat when your stomach starts to grumble.

Salads

Preparing salads ahead of time makes on-the-go meal time a snap. Just be sure to keep them cool with plenty of ice or cold packs. And the best advice we can give you for green salads is to pack the ingredients separately, then assemble and dress the salads just before serving. Look to these summer salads for inspiration:

Sandwiches

We know we’re not the first ones to think of eating sandwiches on the go, but we might just be the best at making them. And to make everybody happy, consider letting your backseat drivers create their own sandwich masterpieces the day before the big trip. Just wrap them well and store with cold packs until everyone’s ready to dig in.

Consider these sandwich epiphanies:

  • Use alternative seed or nut spreads like tahini or cashew butter with boysenberry jam.

  • Pair creamy smoked Gouda with sliced apples on pecan raisin bread.

  • Layer garlic hummus with ripe tomatoes and sharp cheddar cheese on spelt bread.

  • We’ve got the perfect trio: roasted yellow peppers, ripe tomatoes and a spread of cream cheese on a French baguette.

  • Stuff pita bread with sliced chicken breast, lightly dressed spinach salad and purple onions.

  • Spread ham salad on rye bread with dill pickles.

  • Sandwich deli-roasted veggies and pepper jack cheese between slices of olive bread.

  • Arrange cream cheese and apple or cucumber slices on sourdough raisin bread.

Eclectic Edibles

We know you. You’re always looking for a little something out of the ordinary, right? Well, we try not to disappoint. Try packing these international treats, sure to keep your fellow travelers on their toes:

  • Portobello Spring Rolls with Cilantro-Tahini Dip: combines rice noodles with red cabbage and greens in a tidy rice paper wrapper. Perfect for eating with your hands.

  • Stuffed Chard Leaves: tidy little packages of rice, goat cheese, pine nuts and raisins. Sure to become a picnic favorite.

  • Picnic Drumsticks with Orange-Mustard Sauce: delicious cold or hot.

  • Pack up a chilled soup like Tropical Gazpacho or avocado-cucumber purée in a thermos. Chill on ice until ready to serve.

  • If camping or packing a small grill for the beach, pre-marinate meats, seafood or tempeh for straight-to-the-grill convenience. (The less time you spend cooking, the more time you spend swimming. Enough said.)

Desserts

Vacations like road trips or camping excursions are no place to scrimp or rob yourself of the good stuff. Thankfully, sweet treats are the easiest things to pack:

  • Make superb s’mores using high quality chocolate bars, all-natural marshmallows and graham crackers.

  • For an elegant picnic table or blanket spread, pair a ripe, creamy Brie with flatbread crackers and artisan fig spread.

  • Blue Cheese and Walnut Dusted Grapes are a fancy treat, but they’re actually simple to make and easy to transport in a cooler.

  • Cold fresh berries are always delicious on their own.

  • Pick up chilled individual-size flan or cheesecake and pack in your cooler.

  • Prepare your favorite flavor of pudding and then freeze in small containers to take along.

  • Cookies and brownies travel well. Make your favorites or visit our bakery before heading out of town.

10 Tips: Do it Right

If you're anticipating a summer of picnics and roadside dining—and we hope you are—here are some suggestions to make the whole process easier and a heck of a lot more fun:

  1. Invest in a good quality cooler for perishables. Look for air-tight gasket seals around the lid and, on larger ones, a leak-proof spigot for draining melted water. (Consider the size: coolers filled with food and ice can be heavy so you may want to buy two coolers of manageable size rather than one large one you can't lift easily.)

  2. Look for individual water-tight containers for storing salads, sandwiches or ingredients for grilling. Is there anything more disappointing on a picnic than discovering that your sandwiches are water logged from melted ice? Heavy-duty, reusable ones are best.

  3. Try reusable dishes and flatware on the road. Heavy-duty plastic or melamine plates and cups are perfect for picnics, along with metal flatware. And they lend a little elegance to your al fresco dining, too.

  4. Keep a small wooden cutting board and sharp paring or pocket knife on hand for last minute food preparation.

  5. During the summer, keep a light, oversized blanket in the back of your car for impromptu dining on the ground. A plastic ground sheet is also a good idea to protect the blanket—and your backside, for that matter—from ground moisture.

  6. Two tea towels, one damp and one dry, sealed in plastic bags will ensure you're well prepared for almost any picnic mess. A roll of paper towels is handy, too.

  7. If you have the room, folding campstools or other outdoor chairs are always handy for outdoor meals.

  8. A piece of advice for advanced picnicking? Thwart hungry ants by drawing circles around your plate with chalk. Talcum powder works equally well if dining on the ground. Ants can't stand the smell and texture of either.

  9. Garbage bags take up very little space and are essential.

  10. Stay hydrated. Have plenty of liquids on hand and remind everyone to drink often, especially kiddos and the elderly. Water is always best, but 100% fruit juices or juices mixed with natural sparkling water are great, too.