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8 Perfect Picnic Recipes

8 Perfect Picnic Recipes

January 25, 2014

Need a healthy, portable recipe for your next outdoor event? We've got eight delicious and low-cal recipes that are picnic-perfect.

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Summer Basil Pesto Pasta Salad

Try this recipe: Summer Basil Pesto Pasta Salad

A light herby pesto is a great way to ring in the summer. As an added plus, you can tweak this dish to accommodate herbs and veggies you have on hand, whether you bought too much at the store or grew more than expected in your garden.

Ingredients: wholewheat farfalle pasta, fresh sugar snap peas, parsley leaves, fresh basil leaves, extra-virgin olive oil, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, fresh lemon juice, garlic, sea salt, black pepper, multicolored cherry tomatoes, mozzarella pearls

Calories: 457

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Oatmeal Trail Mix Cookies

Victor Protasi; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Try this recipe: Oatmeal Trail Mix Cookies

Nothing combines eating and the outdoors like trial mix. This delicious snack just takes all the healthy fats, filling proteins and sweetness of trail mix and rolls it into a cookie.

Ingredients: unsalted butter, coconut palm sugar, almond butter, eggs, vanilla extract, oat flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, baking soda, sea salt, trail mix, quick-cooking oats

Calories: 190

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Melon and Prosciutto Skewers

Victor Protasi; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Try this recipe: Melon and Prosciutto Skewers

You might not think to combine savory prosciutto with a melon salad, but you definitely should—the salt and fat contrast perfectly with the sweetness of the melon and tart balsamic for a surprisingly fresh summer treat.

Ingredients: cantaloupe cubes, honeydew melon cubes, prosciutto, white balsamic vinegar, black pepper

Calories: 54

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Edamame Hummus

Victor Protasi; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Try this recipe: Edamame Hummus

As far as healthy snacks go, hummus is tough to beat. But, this one, made with edamame instead of chickpeas, puts a whole new twist on the dipping classic.

Ingredients: shelled edamame, olive oil, cilantro, tahini, fresh lemon juice, sea salt, sriracha chili sauce, water, crudités

Calories: 187

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Spinach and Strawberry Salad

Victor Protasi; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Try this recipe: Spinach and Strawberry Salad

Strawberries may just be the quickest way to summer up a dish. Balsamic strawberries are a treat all their own, but toss a few in with this blue cheese and spinach salad and it'll be your new favorite summer lunch.

Ingredients: Extra-virgin olive oil, white balsamic, shallot, Dijon mustard, honey, sea salt, black pepper, baby spinach and spring mix blend, fresh strawberries, blue cheese, walnuts

Calories: 258

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Turkey and Havarti Wraps

Victor Protasi; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Try this recipe: Turkey and Havarti Wraps

Full of sprouts and greens, this turkey wrap is a quick and easy option when packing for a picnic.

Ingredients: avocado oil mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, whole-wheat wraps, butter lettuce, deli-sliced turkey, havarti cheese slices, tomato, alfalfa sprouts

Calories: 325

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7 of 15

Fudgy Rye Brownies

So treat yourself.

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No-fuss dishes

Leigh Beisch

Need a healthy, portable recipe for your next outdoor event? We've got eight delicious, low-cal recipes that are picnic-perfect.

Confetti Slaw With Poppy-Seed Dressing

This low-cal side dish combines sweet honey with spicy Dijon mustard for a tangy addition to the vitamin C-packed cabbage.

Ingredients: Cider vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, fresh dill, poppy seeds, olive oil, green cabbage, red cabbage, matchstick carrots

Calories: 40

Try this recipe: Confetti Slaw With Poppy-Seed Dressing

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Edamame "Guacamole" With Chile-Dusted Pita Chips

Using edamame instead of avocados gives you 12 grams of protein, and olive oil adds in heart-healthy fats. Toss in a dash of lime juice and jalapeño, and you have a spicy, slimming snack.

Ingredients: Frozen edamame, olive oil, red onion, roasted red peppers, yellow bell pepper, limes, jalapeño, cilantro, parsley, pitas, chili powder

Calories: 298

Try this recipe: Edamame "Guacamole" With Chile-Dusted Pita Chips

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Light and Fresh Potato Salad

Howard L. Puckett

We love this potato salad because it cuts out the fattening mayo and replaces it with a light vinaigrette. This Mediterranean side dish also packs in antioxidant-rich tomatoes and bell peppers.

Ingredients: Canola oil, seasoned rice vinegar, red potatoes, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, green bell pepper, orange bell pepper, green onions, ripe olives

Calories: 90

Try this recipe: Light and Fresh Potato Salad

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Raspberry Lemonade

Ben Fink

This drink combination is a match made in heaven; it's sweet, tart, and 100% refreshing. Just stick it in a thermos, and it's picnic appropriate.

Ingredients: Lemon juice, sugar, raspberry puree, ice cubes

Calories: 114

Try this recipe: Raspberry Lemonade

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Updated Waldorf Salad

Amy Kalyn Sims

Using low-fat mayo keeps this salad creamy but under 10 grams of fat. Plus the lemon juice adds a tangy taste and keeps the apples from browning.

Ingredients: Low-fat mayonnaise, lemon juice, apples, red grapes, cranberries, chopped walnuts, sliced celery, Bibb lettuce

Calories: 153

Try this recipe: Updated Waldorf Salad

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Bacon and Cheddar Tea Sandwiches

Becky Luigart-Stayner

The small portion sizes keep these decadent nibbles at a low 130 calories. Though the recipe calls for white bread, use rye or multigrain for a boost of fiber.

Ingredients: Reduced-fat cheddar cheese, fat-free cream cheese, green onions, fat-free mayonnaise, hot sauce, bacon, bread

Calories: 131

Try this recipe: Bacon and Cheddar Tea Sandwiches

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Curried Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Oxmoor House

Curry powder, red onion, and pineapple take this simple sandwich from ho-hum to yum! And using whole-wheat bread gives you 10 grams of figure-friendly fiber.

Ingredients: Light mayonnaise, low-fat yogurt, curry powder, lemon juice, cooked chicken breast, red grapes, walnuts, pineapple, red onion, double-fiber whole-wheat bread

Calories: 321

Try this recipe: Curried Chicken Salad Sandwiches

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Mini PB&J Cupcakes

Your inner kid will rejoice when you taste this dessert that's part sandwich, part delicious treat. And you get all the flavor for under 200 calories.

Ingredients: Cake flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking soda, unsalted butter, canola oil, low-fat buttermilk, eggs, vanilla extract, grape jelly, Peanut Butter–Cream Cheese Frosting

Calories: 180

Try this recipe: Mini PB&J Cupcakes

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