As we seemingly skipped spring and sprung right into summer, picnic season is upon us, as well as International Picnic Day on Saturday, June 18, 2016. And interestingly enough, there are more benefits to enjoying a picnic than you may think! In addition to choosing healthy picnic recipes, which we’ll go into detail about, picnics can be a great way to involve exercise and stress relief into your crazy schedule, all while enjoying time with friends and family.
Planning a picnic at a park is a great opportunity to take advantage of walking or biking trails that a lot of parks have. Or, better yet, consider riding your bike to your picnic, so long as you have a basket big enough to hold all of your yummy treats! Once you’ve established your spot, break out the Frisbee or football for a catch. Additionally, yoga has become a popular outdoor activity of late, especially with the warmer weather. Check out your local parks and recreation department, as many neighborhoods actually conduct free or low-cost outdoor yoga classes taught by a certified instructor. Recently, it was shown that those that participated in an 8-week yoga regimen had better mental stability and flexibility than their non-practicing counterparts.
Just the sheer practice of being outdoors has been shown to be beneficial to the human body and healthcare, as well. For one, the sun provides vitamin D that the body needs each day, so being outdoor for even 15 minutes will stock up your stores! Furthermore, a recent study implemented a nature-assisted rehab program in patients with mild to severe depression. Researchers showed that those participating in group and individual activities outdoors noticed a significant reduction in healthcare consumption throughout the year following implementation.
Now that we know the added benefits of taking our meals outdoors, let’s share some recipes! For a simple salad, toss halved cherry tomatoes with diced cucumbers, feta, black olives, olive oil and fresh dill to start! Easy and healthy chicken salad sandwiches can be made by mixing shredded baked chicken with Greek yogurt, grapes, walnuts, and celery thrown in a wrap or a couple pieces of whole wheat bread. Finally, for a light, refreshing dessert, toss diced strawberries with cubed cantaloupe, blueberries, and a hint of mint and lime. 
As always, remember to keep food stored properly when transporting to your picnic. For meals prepped ahead of time, keep them in the fridge until you leave and transport them in a cooler and eat right away rather than let them sit in the summer heat. Check out this great resource for more information on summer food safety.
Also, remember to practice Lyme disease prevention during picnic season and all year. Check out these great resources from the Lyme Disease Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania and the University of Rhode Island’s TickEncounter Resource Center. Blankets and clothing can be treated or bought already treated to prevent attracting ticks from Insect Shield.
For more healthy recipes and ideas to survive your summer picnics, visit our previous blogs, Snacking Can Be Healthy, and Beat the Summer Heat. Check out Five Health Habits to Adopt in 2015 for more clever ideas for a healthy lifestyle.