51 Easy Vegan Picnic Ideas

In this complete guide, you’ll find everything you need to know to prepare and pack for a deliciously simple vegan picnic, with over 50+ recipe ideas! These recipe ideas will help you create a delicious and simple picnic to take to the beach, park, or backyard during the year’s best days!

When the weather warms, the flowers bloom, and the trees green, there’s nothing better than enjoying the great outdoors with a lovely vegan picnic.

Bringing a picnic when you’re going out for a hike or spending the day at the beach is an excellent idea, especially when you’re vegan because you don’t know what sort of food will be available when you’re on the road.

An assortment of fresh foods that keep well when not refrigerated is essential to a successful picnic experience. You’ll find everything you need here to plan, prepare, and pack a vegan picnic so that your food is fresh and delicious when ready to enjoy it on a hot day!

What Do You Pack for a Vegan Picnic?

Before you set off for your picnic adventure, there are a few non-recipe essentials that you’ll need. If you’re anything like me, you’ve packed up a beautiful and delicious picnic only to realize you forgot forks! Ugh! Or maybe you brought a bottle of wine without a wine opener. It’s happened to the best of us. But if you review this guide before you pack, you will have everything you need to have a smooth and effortless picnic without any surprises!

Waterproof Picnic Blanket

This highly-rated picnic blanket is large enough for four people to sit comfortably. It’s waterproof on one side and soft fleece on the other side. It can easily be folded and wrapped with a handy carrying handle. It’s excellent for the beach or grass as it will keep you completely dry, yet it’s soft and comfortable.

Picnic Backpack

While we’ve all heard of picnic baskets, a backpack is much easier to carry, and many have everything you need for a seamless experience. This backpack from Sunflora is insulated, so you can pack your cold items and keep them cold throughout the day. It also includes everything you need for a picnic for 4, including plates, wine glasses, flatware, a cutting board, a wine opener, a knife for cutting, salt and pepper shakers, cloth napkins, and an insulated wine bottle holder. It also comes with a waterproof blanket, although it is not as large as above. In addition, it has a detachable waterproof pouch for cold drinks. It’s everything you need in one backpack making it easily portable.

Vegan Picnic Recipes

Now that you have all your supplies, it’s time to start planning the perfect vegan picnic menu. Depending on how many people you plan to feed and how long you’ll be out and about, you may want to pack more or less food. If you are going to head to your backyard for some fun with the kids, sandwiches will suffice, but if you’re going to the beach to spend the day, you may want to pack a variety of snacks, sides, salads, sandwiches, and even a dessert of two.

I recommend picking at least one recipe from each category: appetizers and snacks, sides, salads, sandwiches, and desserts. But feel free to mix and match to suit the needs of your friends and family. Let’s dive into 51 simple and delicious vegan picnic ideas!

Vegan Picnic Appetizers and Snacks

Energy balls are my favorite type of appetizer and snack to bring on a picnic. They are easily transportable, full of protein, and super tasty! Along with these recipes, you can pack fresh fruit like sliced apples, strawberries, oranges, bananas, and grapes. Don’t forget your veggies, such as sliced bell peppers, cucumber slices, celery, carrots, and cherry tomatoes. All these are healthy and simple with no prep whatsoever.

Vegan Picnic Salads

There are a variety of fresh salads that are easy to prepare vegan, from the famous pasta salad to broccoli salad and more. Add some fresh vegetables to your picnic with these infamous vegan salads. If your salad has fresh greens and dressing, I recommend tossing the salad with dressing before serving to keep the leaves from wilting.

Gluten Free Pasta Salad | Vegan and Oil Free

This gluten free pasta salad made with protein rich chickpea pasta is loaded with diced veggies and herbs with a simple oil free Italian dressing.

Check out this recipe

How to Plan A Picnic?

1. Choose a location: Pick a site suitable for a picnic, such as a park, a beach, a lake, or a scenic spot. Check if the area allows picnics and if any fees or permits are required.
2. Decide the date and time: Choose a date and time that works for you and your guests. Consider the weather, and plan to have your picnic during a time of day when it’s not too hot or too crowded.
3. Make a guest list: Decide who you want to invite to the picnic and send out invitations or notify them via text, email, or phone.
4. Plan your menu: Decide what foods and drinks you want to serve at the picnic. Consider any dietary restrictions or allergies of your guests. Plan a variety of foods that are easy to transport and eat, such as sandwiches, salads, fruits, vegetables, vegan cheese, crackers, and snacks.
5. Prepare the food and drinks: Prepare the food and drinks in advance, and pack them in containers with tight-fitting lids. Use separate containers for hot and cold items, and consider using insulated containers or ice packs to keep food at the right temperature.
6. Pack your supplies: Pack a sturdy and spacious picnic basket, cooler, or tote bag that can fit all the food, drinks, and supplies you need. Don’t forget to pack plates, utensils, cups, napkins, and a corkscrew or bottle opener as required.
7. Bring extras: Bring extra items such as blankets, chairs, games, or music to enhance the picnic experience.
8. Check the weather forecast: Check the weather forecast before you go, and pack appropriate clothing and gear, such as sunscreen, hats, jackets, and umbrellas.

Top Tips for Packing a Picnic

• Choose a sturdy and spacious picnic basket or cooler to accommodate all your food and drinks. Alternatively, you can use a backpack or tote bag for hiking or walking.
• Bring a blanket or a tablecloth to spread out on the ground to create a comfortable seating area.
• Pack your food in containers with tight-fitting lids to keep them fresh and prevent spillage. Use separate containers for hot and cold items, and consider using insulated containers or ice packs to keep food at the right temperature.
• Bring utensils, plates, cups, napkins, and a corkscrew or bottle opener. Don’t forget to pack a trash bag and wet wipes or hand sanitizer for easy clean-up.
• Plan your menu ahead of time and pack a variety of foods that are easy to transport and eat, such as sandwiches, salads, fruits, vegetables, cheese, crackers, and snacks. Consider any dietary restrictions or allergies of your guests.
• Bring drinks such as water, soda, juice, or wine, and pack them in plastic bottles or cans to minimize the risk of broken glass. Don’t forget to bring plastic glasses or cups if you’re bringing wine.
• Check the weather forecast before you go, and pack appropriate clothing and gear, such as sunscreen, hats, jackets, and umbrellas.

How to Pack and Store Picnic Food

1. Choose a sturdy and spacious picnic basket, cooler, backpack, or tote bag that can fit all your food, drinks, and supplies.
2. Pack a blanket or a tablecloth to spread out on the ground to create a comfortable seating area.
3. Bring plates, utensils, cups, napkins, and a corkscrew or bottle opener as needed. Consider using reusable or compostable options to reduce waste.
4. Plan your menu ahead of time and choose foods that are easy to transport and eat, such as sandwiches, salads, fruits, vegetables, vegan cheese, crackers, and snacks.
5. Pack your food in containers with tight-fitting lids to keep them fresh and prevent spillage. Use separate containers for hot and cold items, and consider using insulated containers or ice packs to keep food at the right temperature.
6. Bring drinks such as water, soda, juice, or wine, and pack them in plastic bottles or cans to minimize the risk of broken glass. Don’t forget to bring plastic glasses or cups if you bring wine.
7. Pack a trash bag and wet wipes or hand sanitizer for easy clean-up.
8. Check the weather forecast before you go, and pack appropriate clothing and gear, such as sunscreen, hats, jackets, and umbrellas.
9. If you’re hiking or walking, consider packing a backpack or lightweight tote bag instead of a picnic basket or cooler.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do vegans eat at a picnic?

• Sandwiches or wraps filled with veggies, hummus, avocado, tofu, tempeh, or vegan deli slices.
• Salads made with leafy greens, beans, grains, nuts, seeds, or fruits. Bring the dressing in a separate container to keep the salad fresh.
• Fresh fruits such as berries, grapes, apples, oranges, or watermelon.
• Raw or roasted veggies such as carrots, cucumbers, celery, cherry tomatoes, or bell peppers. Serve them with hummus or guacamole for dipping.
• Vegan cheese, crackers, and nuts.
• Vegan desserts such as energy bars, granola bars, vegan cookies, brownies or fruit salad.

Remember to read the labels of packaged foods to ensure they are vegan-friendly, and always double-check with the manufacturers if you’re unsure about the ingredients. With some planning and creativity, vegans can enjoy a tasty and satisfying picnic just like anyone else!

What foods won’t spoil on a picnic?

Some foods that are less likely to spoil on a picnic include:

• Fresh fruits such as apples, bananas, grapes, and oranges.
• Vegetables such as carrots, celery, bell peppers, and cherry tomatoes.
• Nuts, seeds, and trail mix.
• Energy bars, granola bars, and other packaged snacks.
• Crackers and bread.
• Peanut butter and jelly, which don’t require refrigeration.
• Canned or bottled drinks, such as soda, juice, or water.

It’s important to note that even these foods can spoil if left in the sun for too long or not stored properly. To keep food safe on a picnic, pack it in a cooler with plenty of ice or ice packs, and keep it in the shade or indoors as much as possible. Don’t leave food in the sun for over two hours or one hour if the temperature is above 90°F (32°C). When in doubt, it’s better to err on the side of caution and pack perishable foods with ice packs.