Seasonal events
Making the most of summer picnics
Tips to help you enjoy picnics this summer without hassle or waste.
This summer, we’re looking forward to picnics with family and friends. There’s nothing better than packing up and heading to your favourite spot or explore somewhere new, to enjoy our amazing countryside, lakes, beaches, and parks.
Picnics are delicious and fun but we can end up wasting food when we have too much or it gets spoiled. We’ve put together our top tips to help you save food, money and time, and reduce the impact on the environment – all while enjoying a lovely day out.
Waste Free Picnic Tips
You can stop food waste at three stages, with these simple tips:
Plan your picnic to save you time and money.
- Use food you have. Avoid over-buying and use the food you already have in your fridge, freezer, and cupboards.
- Plan your portions. Have just enough food for your picnic and avoid having to haul it home again by preparing for the number attending.
- Spread the load. Ask guest picnickers to bring some items to save you buying or preparing too much food. Let them know the number of people coming to, so they can plan accordingly.
Take the hassle and waste out of your picnic by having your picnic-ware ready to go.
- Pack it up. Keep a cooler bag ready with lightweight, re-useable containers and cups so you just add your food and drinks before you go.
- Store it right. Use Tupperware containers or takeaway boxes you already have. You can protect all of the delicious food at your picnic from getting squashed.
- Reuse to hydrate. Fill water bottles at home and bring large bottles of drinks for sharing with reusable cups.
Give any picnic leftovers a second chance to be eaten.
- Keep them chilled. Pop any leftovers back into your cooler bag to keep them at their best, so they can be eaten later.
- Take them home or share. Leftovers make a tasty lunch for the following day. Take them with you or share them with guests to take home.
There you have it – simple tips to prevent food waste at your picnic, saving you money and time and reducing your impact on the environment.
When you’re planning your next picnic on a gorgeous hillside or quiet forest, follow these simple tips to stop food waste!
For info on how to store your food before you even start packing for your picnic and maximise freshness, check out our A-Z of Foods.
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