However, for a successful picnic that is both good and respectful of the environment, a few small rules must be respected.
1. For a successful picnic: nice, homemade dishes
Sandwiches in plastic, crisps in bags, salads in trays, are all sources of waste at the end of the picnic. Not to mention the fact that these are not healthy foods at all! For a picnic worthy of the name, bet instead on small homemade dishes such as sandwiches prepared by you, cakes, pies or salads. Also favor local, organic and seasonal products during your ecological picnic. If you are on vacation, take the opportunity, for example, to buy fruit and vegetables at the local market in the morning. This will be a great opportunity to support local agriculture while eating healthy food.
2. We use reusable containers
Paper plates, cutlery and plastic cups, water bottles, cans, paper napkins… All of this should be banned! The golden rule when picnicking in an ecological way is to eat from reusable dishes. Although it is true that disposable tableware is very practical, its impact on the environment is high. We then opt for washable dishes!
Plates, glasses and cutlery in light, resistant materials that you can reuse for your outdoor outings. Otherwise, just take the dishes from home. As for drinks and napkins, favor water bottles rather than plastic bottles and choose cloth napkins to avoid throwing away paper. Finally, to make a zero-waste picnic, bring a cooler, airtight boxes or glass jars to store and transport food.
3. We preserve the environment
It is always extremely pleasant to settle down on vacation in a small corner of nature, in the shade of a tree for a picnic. It is precisely for this reason that care must be taken not to harm this fragile environment in order to respect the natural habitat of certain species, or quite simply those who will also want to come and picnic in the same place. When leaving, remember to pick up all your waste and leave the place as you found it. Then try to drop off your waste in a selective sorting area, or else take your trash and sort it at home.
4. And during an outdoor sports day, what do we eat?
When you go for a sports day like hiking in the mountains, it is important to choose a suitable picnic to provide the energy your body needs. In this case, the effort exerted requires a richer diet than at rest. To last over time, it is therefore necessary to eat regularly with light, small, and nutritious foods in order to maintain blood sugar levels at a constant level. So for the picnic we plan a small sandwich or a small salad containing complex carbohydrates (wholemeal bread, rice, pasta), lean proteins and little fat. For the snack you can bring dried fruits, not too sweet biscuits, or compotes.
Of course remember to take water to hydrate yourself regularly. If you are in the mountains you can also take water purification tablets with you for long hikes.
