ינהאַלט
Picnic: cold recipes for babies
For children who still eat mash, we cook recipes that go well even if they are not reheated. Ultra-fast, mashed corn. Just mix a can of corn with a cooked zucchini or half an avocado. Mashed carrots or beets also go very well. You can add chicken or fish, just as delicious cold. And then there are also the tomato or cucumber gazpachos which are traditionally eaten cold.
Complete dishes for the whole family
“As soon as the children eat like us, we offer the same main course for the whole family. Choose from salads made with a base of starchy foods (rice, pasta, semolina, etc.) then add small diced vegetables (tomatoes, cucumber, etc.), cheese, chicken, etc. ”, suggests Dr. Laurence Plumey, nutritionist . We give free rein to our imagination. We prepare them the day before but we season them just before the start, it will be better.
Foods to eat with your fingers
This is also the joys of the picnic: eating with your fingers! To please young and old, there is plenty of choice such as vegetable pies or cakes, tortillas or frittata made from eggs and vegetables, potato pancakes… That’s good, that stores well and is easy to transport. Another idea too: small steamed vegetables (broccoli, carrots…), which can also be eaten with your fingers of course!
Mini balanced sandwiches
Sandwiches don’t have to mean junk food. “You can very well prepare small, healthy sandwiches made from pitas or sandwich bread, which are easier to eat by the youngest than the baguette. In these mini sandwiches, we add cheese, guacamole-style avocado or hummus. You can also spread tuna or sardine rillettes with cream cheese and a little lemon, ”she adds. To vary the tastes, we prepare different kinds. And to wrap them, we forget the aluminum foil, not at all green. Instead, we slip them into special sandwich pouches or Bee wraps, these beeswax-based packaging that are reusable.
Unprocessed products are better
As with everyday meals, we opt for a picnic as much as possible for unprocessed foods. Why ? Quite simply because fresh products are of better quality and lower in calories than ultra-processed foods. And then, by focusing on homemade products, we reduce packaging and therefore waste.
Raw vegetables with caution
Practical to take away, raw vegetables are a good choice: radishes, carrots or grated zucchini … But, we follow the chewing capacities of our child. “In practice, no raw vegetables as they are for 12 months, or else they are mixed. Then, you have to cut them into thin slices, remove the skin and seeds from the tomatoes … And up to 5-6 years, you remain vigilant against the risks of taking the wrong path with certain foods, such as cherry tomatoes … crush them or cut them into small pieces, ”says Dr Laurence Plumey. And for more tastes, we choose seasonal fruits and vegetables.
A picnic buffet version
What if we imagine a picnic buffet version? In practice, there are several small starters such as raw vegetables, more substantial dishes such as sandwiches, cakes with vegetables and chicken or fish… Then, small desserts (various fruits for example). This allows you to add color to the plate, to encourage you to taste different dishes while going at your own pace. Because in a picnic, we focus on conviviality and the possibility for the youngest to play, to stretch their legs between two courses …
Water … in a gourd
Plastic bottles, we forget! For the whole family, we choose pretty gourds. And of course, we check the composition to avoid questionable materials (bisphenol A and company). A sure bet: stainless steel. And for a summer side, we perfume the water with cucumber slices, mint leaves… There are gourds with a compartment to infuse plants and thus flavor the water. And even gourds with a carbon filter to remove impurities.
For dessert, fruits that are easy to take away
For dessert, we opt for seasonal fruits. Good thing, there are plenty of them in summer. And in addition, there is hardly any preparation. They contain a lot of vitamins. And it’s super good. Melon and watermelon to cut before departure, it is more practical. Apricots, peaches, nectarines, cherries… which are washed beforehand.
Fun presentations
Kids love picnics because they are allowed to do things they often cannot do, like eating with their fingers or getting up during a meal, between meals. Picnics are also an opportunity to innovate on the presentation side. Why not offer to drink the gazpachos with a straw? You can cut the mini sandwiches with cookie cutters to give them nice shapes. For the older ones, we can also offer them to eat their salad made with chopsticks (we take advantage of being outside to let them practice!).
Picnic, good safety practices
The cooler, essential. To transport perishable foods (meat, fish, mixed salads, eggs, etc.) safely, they are placed in a cooler with cooling packs in the bottom and on the top. “Because leaving them at too high a temperature for too long promotes the development of bacteria and therefore the risk of food poisoning,” recalls Dr. Laurence Plumey.
We throw away the leftovers. For the same reasons linked to the development of bacteria, it is advisable to throw away what has not been consumed.
On site, we wash our hands before handling the food either with water and soap when possible or with hydroalcoholic gel.