Your next Beach Picnic - Best Meal Ideas!

What better way to spend your summer days than lying on the sand and having a picnic by the beach? Many of us look forward to summer rolling around every year so we can get more of that vitamin sea in our lives! 

But packing picnic food for the beach is not-so-fun, and having the sun, sand, wind, and food together in one place can be messy if you’re not prepared.  We take the hassle and stress out of packing beach food with our handy tips and meal ideas. Best of all, you can get all the food you need for the perfect beach picnic day at iPantry delivered to your door.

Perfect beach day picnic foods! 

When packing for a beach picnic, you don’t want to be weighed down with bags, plates, bowls, cutlery and all manner of serving ware. Or worse, have to chase your plates and bowls down the beach after the wind blows it away when all you want to do is eat your food in peace!

The best food to take to the beach should be:

• Easy to prepare and assemble
• Able to last all day without refrigeration
• Unlikely to spill or go all over the place 
• Light, healthy, nourishing and refreshing 
• Easily transportable
• Quick to eat with fingers or minimal cutlery
• Tasty and full of the energy you need to power you throughout the day 

A day at the beach is packed full of activities, and the hot sun can quickly deplete you of energy, so make sure you pack food that will taste great and keep you energised. Here are our meal ideas to power you throughout your active beach outing.

Cold Meat and Cheese Board!

A cold meat and cheese board is no fuss, no-prep food that gives you plenty of energy all day. Soft cheeses such as French brie or camembert are great as they will melt nicely into delicious creamy goodness in the sun,  unlike hard cheeses such as cheddar which go oily and sweat.

You can choose from our range of cheeses or cheese platters and grazing boxes. They’re nicely boxed up, so you don’t have to worry about food getting squished in your esky.

Seafood for a Sea-side Day 

If bringing meat to the beach, it’s best to prep and cook ahead to minimise the hassle when you’re there. 

But if you’d prefer to cook something on the barbie, bring easy to grill food like fish and seafood. Fish and seafood are a classic seaside fare, but mind those pesky seagulls! 

Don’t forget to check first for fire bans and find out if you’re okay to light up the BBQ. 

Pack meats and anything raw separately or at the bottom of your cooler to avoid cross-contamination. Make sure to keep them sufficiently cold to preserve their freshness.

Our Hunky Dory fish and seafood products are super fresh and conveniently pre-packaged for easy grilling.

Vegan Alternative Foods to keep it light!

Summer is the best time to go vegan as so much in-season local produce is available. Also, the hot and humid weather makes us naturally gravitate towards lighter meals.

Vegan food is an excellent alternative to traditional picnic foods to pack in your cooler. With iPantry’s massive range of ready-made vegan meals, vegan picnic boxes, platters, and grazing boxes, packing a healthy feast for your beach outing has never been easier.

Our favourite recipes for your next beach picnic!

Here are some recipes you can try for your next beach picnic. They are light, fresh, flavourful, and can be effortlessly prepped beforehand and transported easily from your kitchen to the sea-side. 

Mango & Haloumi Summer Salad!

This fresh and tangy salad uses in-season mangoes and can be put together in about 15 minutes. For convenience, portion the salad into individual containers for easy serving at the picnic.

To keep the salad fresher and prevent it from going soggy, store the dressing separately in an air-tight, no-drip container and pour it onto the salad just before serving. 

All the fresh ingredients are available at iPantry and are conveniently delivered straight to your door. 

Tasty Summer Salmon Bake

Fire up the barbie and tantalise everyone’s tastebuds with this healthy and tasty salmon recipe. The chimichurri sauce can be prepared beforehand. All ingredients can be thrown together in one tray and cooked on the barbie for a simple, delicious, effortless lunch.

Our super fresh Hunky Dory Salmon Fillets are perfect for this recipe. Why not bring some White Pinot Noir and some Chardonnay to pair with this meal and make it a celebration at the beach. 

Butter Lemon Chicken  

These butter lemon chicken rissoles are the perfect finger food to enjoy at the beach! Make them the day before and transfer them straight into your cooler. These delicious, bite-sized rissoles can be eaten cold and are sure to impress the little folk in your company!

Check out our high-quality poultry perfect for this recipe.

Tips to keeping your food fresh on a hot summer day 

Keeping your food fresh and cool doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are our tips on how to keep your food cold for an unforgettable beach picnic. 

Don't forget about the ice!

Avoid food spoilage by packing in an esky or cooler with lots of ice. Cold cuts, cheeses, meats, and other perishables should be stored at or below 4°C. If space is an issue in your cooler, freeze your water bottles overnight to double as ice bricks. As much as possible, keep your cooler under shade and out of direct sunlight.

Store food in layers with the meats at the bottom to avoid cross-contamination, pre-prepared food in the middle, and snacks on top, with ice layered on top of perishables.  

And remember, if any of the perishables look off or feel too warm, don’t eat them.

Cover up your delish foods!

As fun as a beach picnic is, there are two things that you’ll have to battle and can ruin your day if you’re not prepared: sand and insects. 

Keep sand and pests away from your food by storing them in individual serve boxes as much as possible so you can replace the lid in between bites. Bento boxes also work for this purpose. Sand-resistant towels also work as great food covers. As their name suggests, sand-free towels are made from a unique material that doesn’t trap sand but causes it to slide right off. They’re great for covering your food for when you want to return to it later, minus the sand and flies. 

Make your next beach day perfect! 

At iPantry, we make packing for your fabulous beach picnic effortless. Check out our online store and get everything you need for a fantastic spread with just a few clicks. With our next-day delivery and free shipping for orders over $75, all that is left for you to do is get your beach gear and head out the door!