We’re taking al fresco dining to another level by packing a picnic for the park. You can do a lot of prep work and pack every Tupperware container you own with homemade dips, sandwiches and spreads, or you can take advantage of pre-made vegan products and start your picnic already. We prefer the latter option. Grab your blanket and your basket and stock up on these nine delicious, vegan products.
What do vegans take to a picnic?
With more vegan products on the market than ever before, there are plenty of picnic snack options, from fresh fruit to packaged vegan products. Seriously, from Walmart to Trader Joe’s to Kroger to Whole Foods, the shelves are full of delicious plant-based options. But if you’re having trouble narrowing it down, here are some of our top vegan picnic suggestions.
A vegan picnic is a must
@the_tofurky_company/Instagram
1 Vegan deli slices
Back in the day, vegan meat was acceptable in a sandwich but avoided on its own. Today, these products are so good that we eat them as protein-heavy snacks. Try Tofurky Deli Slices Hickory Smoked & Peppered or Good & Green’s Plant-Based Deli Slices Prosciutto (the latter won a VegNews Best New Product Award in 2019).
@betterbites_bakery/Instagram
2 cupcakes
Cakes generally don’t travel well—frosting makes any journey dangerous because it’s prone to melting or turning gray under the slightest pressure in your picnic basket. Solution: Individually packaged store-bought cupcakes and cake bites. From Better Bite Bakery to Just Desserts, you can find several options for carefully curated vegan treats at your local grocer. Try Better Bites Big Mo Cupcakes (a Hostess Cupcake Analog) or Just Desserts’ Single-Serve Vegan Vanilla, Strawberry, Black & White, or Chocolate Cupcakes. For smaller groups, Rubicon Bakers makes four-packs of vegan-friendly cupcakes, and Abe offers six-packs of Mini Devil’s Food and Carrot Coconut Cake Muffins.
@lacolombecoffee/Instagram
3 Canned cold brews
The sun is setting and it’s high time for that afternoon slump, but you can stave off drowsiness with a single-serve cold brew or canned latte. Check out our favorite caffeine kicks here, then one below before round two of your pick-up picnic Frisbee game.
@cedarlanefoods/Instagram
4 Small Batch Vegetarian Deli Salad
Yes, grocery stores have deli salads too, and you don’t have to go to a hot bar for them. Check the refrigerated premade foods section of your local market for an array of plant-based deli salads. The brand to look for is Cedarlane. We’re fans of chilled sweet potatoes, quinoa and kale; black beans and chickpeas; Red beet, red onion and fennel; No tuna; And no egg salad. No container needed—eat it straight from individual containers with celery sticks or crackers. Rabbit Whole Foods’ classic deli salad (think vegan chicken, egg and tuna) is not to be missed.
@urbanremedy/Instagram
5 Premade wrap
Grocery stores equipped with prepared food sections are stepping up their vegetarian game, and now you can find several grab-and-go options in the refrigerated food section. Rack the shelves for Urban Remedy’s Upbeat Vegan Cheeseburger Wrap (yes, it’s good cold), the hummus-stuffed and lavosh-based Fundamental Wrap, or Lalibela’s Ethiopian Missy’s Wrap (the latter available at select Whole Foods—if you can find it, get it). Scan. it). Pair your snack with a bag of cotton candy grapes and you’re set for the afternoon.
@treelinecheese/Instagram
6 Dips
Is it a picnic without at least one dip? suspicious By way of hummus, look for Sabra’s single-serving cups to avoid double-dipping. If you’re going for a slightly more upscale outdoor experience, create an al fresco cheeseboard by swapping your daily hummus for a gourmet vegan soft cheese. Miyoko’s Roadhouse Cheddar and Treeline’s soft French-style almond cheeses both come in convenient tubs that you can pack in your basket or cooler. Double-dip villains with each picnic partner with their own knife.
@outstandingfoods/Instagram
7 Chips
You need a crock pot for these dips, and are not as satisfying as carrot sticks and celery chips. Gluten-sensitive or intolerant picnickers should grab a box of Simple Mills sprouted seed or nut flour crackers (avoid the cheddar varieties) to dip to their heart’s content. Run out of the deep? The Daily Crave Beyond Puffs, Extravagant Food Pigout Pigless Pork Rinds and Vegan Rob’s Puffs are all mouthwatering crunchy-salty cravings and served straight from the bag and into your mouth.
@maxinesheavenly/Instagram
8 Cookies
The cookies make for the perfect picnic dessert. We like Rickruns, Maxine’s Heavenly Cookies Two-Cookie Snacks Pack, Lenny & Larry’s, and Rule Breaker Snacks (the latter is more of a brownie than a cookie, but these chickpea-based treats are too fun to pass up).
@gtskombucha/Instagram
9 Kombucha
Alcohol may not be allowed in the park, but there’s nothing prohibiting high ABV kombucha (or just regular kombucha—you decide what the afternoon will look like). Now’s the time to sample fruit-forward flavors like Rowdy Mermaid’s Watermelon Bloom, Butchcraft’s Watermelon Chill, GT’s Unity, or Health-Aid’s Butch Pop Lemon Lime. Cheers to the perfect picnic with no prep required.