Breakfast Picnic ideas – A Healthy Start to the Day

For as long as I can remember it has always been drummed into me that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I think when you’re a kid there’s a sense of white noise running through your mind when you hear this phrase. You have untold amounts of energy which enable you to thrust through the day with little more than a second thought. As the early morning coffee becomes more and more necessary however, you start to think there might be something in this tale. This is around the time that I started to love breakfast picnics.

Breakfast picnics not only get you out into beautiful fresh air in the morning, they also allow you to start the day with a well thought out, healthy picnic menu that energizes and nourishes your body. Whether you stroll out for a quick bite in your back yard before getting off to work or maybe you have planned a beautiful breakfast picnic on the beach whilst on vacation, the benefits are plentiful.

Breakfast Picnic Essentials

Packing your picnic basket should be a lot easier than normal when embarking on your early morning picnic. You can dispose of most of the superfluous items that you would normally take with you. Items like silverware and ceramic plates are not needed. Ideally our breakfast foods will be light and therefore easy to carry whilst being easily edible from either plastic containers or aluminum foil or stretch wrap. Essentials that are required include face wipes, vacuum flask, picnic blanket and some light flatware.

Below are some of my favorite suggestions for breakfast picnic menus. All of these items are super easy to make and promote benefits for your body and mind that will last the day. If you believe we have missed anything then please join the discussion in the comment section or on our Facebook or Twitter pages.

Breakfast Picnic Menu Ideas

Oatmeal – Oatmeal is my go-to breakfast meal. For such a simple food stuff it holds a dizzying array of benefits. As well as being Gluten-free, oatmeal can help lower cholesterol, regulate blood sugars, provide protein, fiber and minerals such as zinc and iron, contain high levels of anti-oxidants and can lead to weight loss by providing your body with a full feeling. Make sure you stay away from the instant varieties which are highly processed and can contain high levels of sugar. I eat rolled oats as a porridge with hot milk from a flask and some added fruits which provide some much needed sweetness. Oatmeal also promotes slow release energy which means you won’t be crashing and burning like some of your colleagues who are smashing down the energy drinks by the gallon.

Avocado – Avocado on toast is something that has been blowing up over the last few years and if you have not tried this culinary behemoth yet then it might be time to get on board. Avocado is thought of as a superfood due to a number of factors, chief among them being the amount of good fat it provides. This monounsaturated fat will help lower bad cholesterol whilst promoting good cholesterol. Due to the Avocado’s almost buttery texture it is perfect for mashing and spreading on toast. There are a plethora of recipes here that show how versatile this simple breakfast picnic suggestion can be. To get the most benefit I would suggest staying away from white breads and stick to whole grain or granary breads.

Eggs – Hard boiled eggs are perfect picnic fare. They take a few minutes to prepare and take up next to no room in your picnic basket. They also boast a pretty hardcore list of vitamins and minerals which include vitamin A, B2, B5, B6, B12, D, E, K, calcium, zinc, phospurus and selenium. They also provide protein and amino acids. The protein, just like it does with the oatmeal, provides a sense of fullness which can lead to a decrease of the intake of calories throughout the day. Eggs also promote slow release energy just like the oatmeal which regulates your blood sugars so you don’t experience highs and lows in your energy.

Yogurt – Another incredibly simple addition to your breakfast picnic menu, yogurt pots are being seen more and more regularly around office blocks and school canteens. This is because they are easy to make and easy to transport and eat. Coupled with this is the fact that the yogurt pot is highly versatile with added extras that include honey, nuts, fruits and oats. Yogurt is high in calcium which we need to maintain bones and teeth and has become better known recently for its probiotic properties which most yogurts possess. This is still to be proven at the highest levels of scientific proof but you just have to read testimonies of the great number of people who use these products to understand that the claims certainly hold up for them.

Fish – Fish may seem an odd choice as a breakfast food but the British lived through an empire of Kippers for breakfast so there must be something to it right. Not that I’m advocating eating Kippers, no no. That is disgusting! However fish for breakfast is still a viable option in the form of the much more pleasant salmon or trout. These are fish that are a lot more delicate on the palate and a lot less pungent on the nose. Benefits of eating fish for breakfast include good amounts of protein which we know by now gives you the full feeling for less intake of food. Fish also contains EPA and DHA which are essential fatty acids. These help in the development of brain tissues which can help improve IQ and concentration levels which will let you be at your best throughout the day.