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National Picnic Month – Healthy & Delicious Recipes for your family to enjoy

National Picnic Month – Healthy & Delicious Recipes for your family to enjoy 

Celebrate National Picnic Month with a variety of fun and healthy dishes your whole family can enjoy. These recipes from some of our best-selling books are guaranteed to boost your energy and get you feeling the summer spirit. 


‘Living PCOS Free’ by Dr Nitu Bajekla and Rohini Bajekal

Beetroot Rocket Salad 

Studies have shown that eating foods like beetroot and leafy greens that are nitrate-rich can improve brain function, reduce blood pressure and improve exercise intensity and duration. As an added bonus, beetroot is rich in vitamins and minerals with 100g providing 27% of the daily requirement for vitamin B9 and nearly 3g of fibre. 

A Beetroot Rocket Salad is as easy as it gets! Toss all the ingredients together and you are ready to serve a delicious snack at your picnic: 

  • 2 large handfuls rocket leaves 
  • 3 cooked beetroots, chopped 
  • 1 handful crushed walnuts and/or seeds 
  • 1 large handful mung bean or broccoli sprouts (optional) 
  • 1 tsp seaweed flakes (optional) 
  • 1 large glug balsamic vinegar 

‘Five-a-Day plus One – The Vitamin B12 Cookbook’ by Martyn Hooper

Sandwiches 

The pinnacle of any great picnic is the sandwiches and despite the simple concept, a homemade sandwich can be packed full of ingredients that maximise B12 while remaining delicious. 

Cheese and seafood are two excellent sources of B12 so why not try some of these combinations: 

  • Cheese and onion 
  • Egg and cress 
  • Liver paté 
  • Prawn mayonnaise 
  • Beef (and horseradish) 
  • Salmon (on its own or with cucumber) 
  • Chicken and sweetcorn 
  • Tuna and sweetcorn 

‘Eat Well to Age Well’ by Beverley Jarvis

Dark chocolate and cherry cupcakes 

If you are looking for a fun and relatively healthy treat option for your next family picnic then look no further because these cupcakes are sure to be the talk of the town. 

Though requiring slightly more preparation time than many of the Eat Well recipes, these can be stored in a cool place for up to 5 days or frozen in sealed plastic bags for up to 2 months. Dark chocolate and cocoa powder are high in antioxidants and provide 67% of your RDI for iron and 89% for copper per 100g. 

Recipe (serves 12): 

You will need a large mixing bowl, hand- held electric whisk, spatula, dessertspoon, teaspoon, cooling rack, 12-hole fairy-cake or muffin tin and paper cake cases. 

  • 80 g muscovado dark brown sugar 
  • 1 dsp runny honey 
  • 150 g unsalted butter, at warm room 
  • temperature, so that it is soft enough to beat 
  • 2 large eggs 
  • 2 tbsp milk 
  • Finely grated zest 1 small orange 
  • 1 rounded tbsp ground almonds 
  • 125 g self-raising four 
  • 25 g cocoa powder, sieved 
  • 1 level tsp baking powder 
  • 25 g chocolate dark chocolate chunks, plus 
  • 36 extra, see method 
  • Approximately 12 tsp quality cherry jam (optional) 
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180° /160°C fan/gas 4
  2. Place 12 fairy cake paper cases into a 12-indent, fairy-cake tin
  3. In a large mixing bowl, place all the ingredients except for the chocolate chunks and the jam
  4. Using the electric whisk, beat the ingredients together, slowly at first, to combine, then increase the speed and beat for about 1 minute until light and creamy
  5. Fold in the chocolate chunks
  6. Divide the mixture evenly between the paper cases
  7. Poke 3 of the extra chocolate chunks into the top of each cup cake
  8. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until well risen and springy to the touch
  9. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
  10. Arrange the cakes on a serving plate and serve either plain, or top each with a teaspoon of cherry

‘Could it be Insulin Resistance?’ by Hanna Purdy

Kale-onion-goats’ cheese pie 

A fun recipe to consider trying for your next picnic outing is a kale-onion-goats’ cheese pie which is guaranteed to be as tasty as it is healthy. A low-carbohydrate diet reduces the amount of insulin needed which can ease the symptoms caused by insulin resistance. On top of this, it also burns excess fat to reduce the harmful effects of fatty liver and reduces chronic inflammation. 

Recipe (Serves 6 people): 

For the base: 

  • 300 ml cauliflower and broccoli, cooked 
  • 3 eggs 
  • 200 ml almond flour (or ground almond) 
  • 2 tsp psyllium husk 
  • 1 tsp salt 
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. 
  2. Mash the cooked cauliflower and broccoli with a fork or blender. 
  3. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and spread into a pie dish which has been greased with olive oil first. 
  4. Place the dish in the oven for 15 minutes. 

Topping: 

  • 3-4 handfuls kale 
  • 3-4 spring onions 
  • 50 g goats’ cheese 
  • 200 ml coconut cream 
  • 3 eggs 
  • 300 ml grated cheese 
  • salt 
  • black pepper 
  • white pepper 
  1. Chop the kale into small pieces and slice the spring onions. 
  2. Chop the goats’ cheese into small pieces. 
  3. Mix the kale, spring onions and goats’ cheese together and spoon over the pre-cooked base. 
  4. Whisk the eggs, add the cream and mix. 
  5. Add the grated cheese, salt and pepper, and pour over the filling. 
  6. Return the dish to the oven for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown on top. 
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