June 12, 2024
Packing the Perfect Low Carb Picnic

Hoping to crack the universal code to packing the perfect low carb picnic this season? With summer <finally> commencing this month and Father’s Day officially orbiting, it’s the perfect opportunity to plan the picnic of your dreams.
Whether your picnic is already completely pre-prepared, or you prefer to bring ingredients and grill on the fly, we have some stellar ideas for you to discover your picnic personality, and how to pack for it.
Prime your tastebuds for takeoff! Here are four very different ways to pack the perfect low carb picnic with Carbonaut.
#1: The Grab ‘n Go
Picnic personality: you’re fun and impulsive. Less is more, quick is better. You’d rather spend less time prepping food and more time enjoying the sunshine and company of your friends and/or family. You don’t feel guilty for not handmaking this whole meal—you’re assembling an experience, which is the most important thing.
As soon as you’re ready to launch, your picnic is, too.
What to pack:
Drinks: Water is your BFF on a low carb diet. Bottles of sparkling water, cans of flavored still water, or cartons of unsweetened coconut water are all stellar choices.
Hey—did we mention water?
Sides: Fill your reusable grocery bags with prepackaged garden salads with nuts and seeds, jars of fresh berries, and plant-based yogurt cups.
Mains: If you’re exploring your pantry and icebox for super simple mains, we suggest Carbonaut Seeded Herb & Garlic Bagels and plant based cream cheese, Carbonaut Original Tortillas with FATSO peanut butter and unsweetened fruit spread, or Carbonaut Seeded Bread piled high with easy and nutrient-dense avocado.
Packing kids along for a picnic? Whip up some delightful little PB&J pockets! Spread nut or seed butter and fruit spread on a slice of our fluffy bread, top with another slice, and use a cookie cutter to make fun shapes and seal the edges. What could be better than a magical sandwich pillow perfect for tiny hands and stellar smiles?!
Winner, winner, grab n’ go dinner.
Or lunch.
#2: Leftovers Made New Again
Picnic personality: reducing waste is best, use everything you can, you don’t have to spend much to have a great time. Anything already in the fridge or pantry is a possibility. Explore last night’s dinner remnants, the rest of the baking you created last week, whatever.
It’s a whole new meal if you eat it in a park, right?
What to pack:
Drinks: Infuse water with fruit from the fridge, create DIY herbal teas with dried herbs from the pantry (hot or cold), or whip up plant-based protein shakes made from whatever you have on hand.
All great options for using leftover food.
Sides: It’s super easy to make some homemade low carb trail mix, create a quick and easy summer berry salad, or pack homemade kale chips seasoned with some nutritional yeast and a pinch of sea salt.
Mains: Use leftover Sweet + Savory Mediterranean Low-Carb Pizzas, quickly cook a couple of Spinach and Mushroom Quesadillas, or pack leftover stews, and chilis from the night before.
Dessert: Try our out-of-this-world Low Carb Blueberry Scones.
#3: Classic Mode
Picnic personality: the quintessential picnic basket, printed napkins, and bug spray. You are nothing if not prepared. This is the picnic of your dreams, your excuse to eat yummy food ON A BLANKET and under the stars.
You planned. You prepped. Let’s picnic.
What to pack:
Drinks: Stevia-sweetened iced tea, sparkling water with a squeeze of citrus, and homemade unsweetened berry punch are classically delicious while boasting low carbs and high flavor profiles.
Sides: Try making garden salad with lots of fresh herbs and low carb dressing. Munch on cucumber slices and cauliflower or broccoli florets with low carb dip, or making our Chili Lime Tortilla Chips and pairing with your favorite salsa or guacamole!
Mains: Simple cucumber tea sandwiches with Carbonaut Original Bread, Keto Avocado Toast, and our U.F.Oat Stacked Sandwich are all delicious options for the classic lunchtime picnic.
Dessert: Obviously, low carb Blueberry Pie in the Sky.
#4: Winning the Picnic
Picnic personality: you’re an overachiever who often takes everything you do to the next level. Probably the oldest child who has primed the launch pad for younger siblings who will never make your parents as happy as you do. Want to show off your grilling skills in public where everyone will notice your innate amazingness? Yeah?
This picnic is for you.
What to pack:
Drinks: This is where classic crosses the threshold into galactic. Homemade tart lemonade with mint and strawberries, orange-infused filtered water with curly rinds for garnish, and cold peppermint or hibiscus herbal teas for the win.
Sides: These sides are not simple, but they are still easy. Veggie kabobs with zucchini, mushrooms, and bell peppers. Cauliflower rice risotto with plant based cream cheese and herbs. Caprese salad made with juicy tomatoes, fresh basil, plant-based mozzarella, olive oil, and balsamic vinaigrette reduction.
This is not a game.
Mains: If you want to win, you bring a grill. German(ish) Low-Carb Avo Dogs, veggie burgers with Carbonaut Hamburger Buns (try our new recipe for Low Carb Mushroom Burger Patties!), and toasted Vegan Tofu Banh Mi subs are what’s for dinner.
Dessert: Try strawberries topped with dairy-free whipped cream and coconut shavings. Add a little dark chocolate to execute this picnic in a truly gourmet way.
Your friends will be mooning over this!
So, what’s your picnic personality? We want to hear from you!
For more ideas on how to live the successful low carb life, feel free to browse the articles on our website. They boast a ton of useful information that can be helpful, from infinity and beyond.
Learn more by signing up for our monthly newsletter at the bottom of this page, and follow us on Instagram and Facebook for all the low carb inspiration.