Easy Picnic Lunch Ideas for Day Trips

ByLorrie Bradshaw Updated on

Packing a picnic lunch is an easy way to save money while making your day feel more relaxed and enjoyable. Whether you’re heading to a park, beach, zoo, hiking trail, or a scenic overlook, a simple picnic meal allows you to eat when you want, where you want, and without paying tourist-area prices.

This guide will show you how to save your pretty pennies on food for a picnic, and which foods work best for wherever you choose to lay your blanket.

Why This Earns a Spot in the Basket

Picnic lunches gives you flexibility that restaurants can’t. Instead of planning your day around meal stops, you can enjoy lunch whenever you find the perfect place to take a break.

They are easy to customize, simple to prep ahead of time, and significantly less expensive than purchasing food during your outing.

With a few grocery store staples and some basic planning, you can create satisfying meals that travel well and help keep your day-trip budget under control.

What This Saves You

From a deli or restaurant, a simple picnic lunch can cost approximately:

  • Sandwiches or wraps: $8-$13 per person
  • Fruit and sides: $3-$5 per person
  • Dessert: $1.50 per person

Prepared at home:

  • Sandwiches or wraps: $2-$4 per person
  • Fruits and sides: $1-3 per person
  • Dessert: less than a $1 per person

Estimated picnic savings: $8-$12.50 per person, or $32–$50 for a family of four. This is a conservative estimate and does not include drinks.

Travel Food Game Plan for Your Picnic

Travelers often end up buying:

  • Drinks at gas stations
  • Fast food meals
  • Snacks at convenience stores
  • Expensive coffee stops
  • Random impulse foods

Packing food ahead of time helps you:

  • Reduce unnecessary stops
  • Avoid overpriced snacks
  • Keep everyone full longer
  • Eat healthier
  • Stay on budget

The goal is to pack the right food for the day you’ll have.

Plan for these things before you pack up:

  • One main that will travel and well and tastes good cold
  • At least one easy side that requires little or no prep at your destination
  • One drink per person. Reusable water bottles are usually all you need, but iced tea, lemonade, or juice boxes are an easy upgrade.
  • Snacks for the ride home. A small snack can keep everyone from stopping for expensive convenience food on the way back.
  • Non-food items like plates, utensils, a blanket, and trash bags.

Also consider where you’ll actually be eating, as it may factor into your decision making on foods to pack. A picnic at the zoo may require foods that can be eaten while walking or sitting on a bench, while a beach or park gives you more flexibility for larger meals and sides.

Will Travel Tip

For sandwiches: pack any condiments, tomatoes, lettuce, onions, and pickles separately.

Picnic Foods Worth Prepping & Packing

These picnic favorites travel particularly well and can be prepared ahead of time.

Makes a great picnic main:

Travels well as a side:

Don’t forget dessert:

Why Smart Travels Do This

Smart travelers understand that when it comes to picnics, simpler is often better. A homemade meal shared outdoors can feel more memorable than a restaurant meal that costs three times as much.

Instead of rushing from one stop to the next, a picnic creates an opportunity to slow down, enjoy the surroundings, and spend more time with the people you’re traveling with.

Before You Hit the Road

Choose a few simple items from the list above that will make you happy. These are meant to be inexpensive, easy prep and go items so that you can enjoy time with the people you care about. When you follow the game plan, all you have to do is pack it up. Easy breezy.