LIGHT PICNIC: IDEAS FOR AN ALTERNATIVE MAY 1ST BETWEEN SUN, NATURE AND LIGHTNESS

Whether you decide to take a trip out of town or stay in town, the picnic is one of the best ways to enjoy spring on this May 1st long weekend. The ingredients of the ideal picnic are the right company, a bucolic location (there is no need to move to the open countryside: even the city parks offer everything you need just a few minutes from home) and a beautiful sunny day.

But if you want to avoid a sense of heaviness preventing you from enjoying the day, be careful not to underestimate the importance of the menu: it is better not to improvise when choosing the dishes to put in the wicker basket.

This is why we asked the nutritionist Patrizia Cusano for some suggestions, who is supporting the protagonists of I Can Farcela! - an 8-week remise en forme program dedicated to 20 women selected from over 300 candidates and followed by a team of nutritionists, fitness experts and life health coaches.

Drinks

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If you have to spend a day of long walks in the countryside make sure you have an "abundant supply of water". It will help you stay light (unlike fizzy drinks) but also quench your thirst and replenish lost fluids. Check the label for "fixed residue": it is better that it is less than 500 mg / l. If there are children in your party, bring with you 100% fruit juices or, better still, a nice orange juice or an orange and banana smoothie. They will also be greatly appreciated by adults!

Vegetables

Raw vegetables are a tasty and genuine appetizer: practical to munch on, they are very rich in fiber, so they immediately give a sense of satiety and will help you not to overdo it. The celery hearts and fennel are perfect, very light (just 15 calories per 100 grams) and particularly tasty to eat in pinzimonio. Carrots are also good.

Fruit

Prepare a nice seasonal fruit salad for lunch, but also stock up on fruit to consume during the day, as a light snack or to cool off during your walks. An original idea to amaze your friends are fruit skewers - and they will also appeal to children who generally do not jump for joy over fruit and vegetables!

Salads

They are a must of the summer and especially of picnics, but better not throw away ingredients at random and do not overdo it with the condiments. Here are some ideas to combine taste and lightness:

Tomato salad (tomatoes + onion + oregano)
Caprese salad (fiordilatte + tomato + spices to taste)
Cold salad of cannellini beans (cannellini beans + lemon + parsley + onion)
Borlotti bean salad (borlotti beans + boiled spinach).

sandwiches

They are a great classic of trips out of town: cheap, substantial, but above all practical. Also in this case the golden rule is to avoid excesses in the quantity and caloric intake of the condiments. Preparing different variations is the best way to please everyone, so here are some ideas:

Sandwich with a can of tuna and a few leaves of salad or radicchio
Sandwich with spinach omelette (to be made with 1 egg and about 100 grams of spinach, in a non-stick pan without oil)
Sandwich with sliced turkey and some salad leaves
Sandwich with light Philadelphia and julienne lettuce and carrot salad
Sandwich with chicken breast, rocket and songino
Sandwich with fiordilatte and lettuce
Sandwich with tuna and tomato.

Cereals

If you can't give up carbohydrates, know that there are light alternatives to carbonara and lasagna, here are a few:

Spelled salad with vegetables
Brown rice with salad
Quinoa meatballs with vegetables (zucchini and carrots)
Pasta salad: it can be prepared in many variations, simply by changing one or more ingredients. For example, add boiled or grilled vegetables, cherry tomatoes, salad, corn, chicken and fish: they are all perfect ingredients to give taste to pasta without adding too many calories. Therefore, ingredients or condiments that are too thoughtful as mayonnaise should be avoided
Salad with barley, carrots, fennel, fresh mushrooms, black olives, tomato and feta (a reinterpretation of the Greek salad).

Seconds

Finally, if you don't want to give up on main courses (or you simply prefer them to first courses and side dishes), I recommend two appetizing and light dishes that you can prepare: