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Winter Picnic Ideas
Planning a winter picnic is not as crazy as it may seem. It may be cold, but the sun is bright and the world is covered in an amazing blanket of white. So pull out your long underwear and embrace winter! You will have wonderful solitude with nature as fewer people venture outdoors in the cold. Another huge bonus? No bugs!
Help keep your family fit and healthy this winter with these fun winter picnic activities. One hour of activity can burn many calories, leaving room for a healthy snack! Information is based on a 155 lb (70 kg) adult per hour of activity.
Walking/Hiking. A brisk walk can help reduce anxiety and depression and lessens your risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, osteoporosis and even certain cancers. Calories burned: 245
Build a Snowman. Rolling and lifting heavy snow works your back, arm and leg muscles. Calories burned: 280
Snowball Fights. Work those arms! Run away! Calories burned: 315
Snow Angels. Flap your arms up and down! Calories burned: 200
Skating. Build up your leg muscles and your endurance. Calories burned: 410
Hockey. All the benefits of skating plus teamwork! Calories burned: 490
Sledding. Walking back up that hill is a great workout! Calories burned: 350
Snowshoeing. Gets your heart and lungs pumping and is great for the legs. Calories burned: 500
Cross-country Skiing. Cross-country skiing is a great all-body workout! Calories burned: 500
Horseback Trail Ride. Believe it or not, riding a horse is a great exercise for your butt and legs. Calories burned: 170
Of course, after one or two of these winter activities you will have built up a huge appetite! Healthy picnic food is needed to give you the heat and energy your body needs. Bring along high carb foods made with whole grains for the energy they provide. Foods made with healthy unsaturated fats will also provide you with heat energy (twice that of a good carb). GORP (Good Old Raisins and Peanuts) is also great choice. And a hot drink is a must! Be sure to fill up your Insulated Vacuum Bottlewith some of my favourite gourmet hot chocolate recipes or perhaps you would prefer some mulled wine or other hot drink.
How to Plan a Winter Picnic
While it may seem a bit daunting to try and plan a winter picnic, it really isn't much more difficult than planning a summer picnic.
Check the Weather Okay, seems obvious right? But checking the weather report becomes even more important if you are venturing out of the city. It may be lovely in town, but you could be heading into a blizzard or towards a cold front.
If the weather is terrible, don't let it stop you! Consider an indoor picnic:
Bring the kids to the local science center
Head to your local indoor botanical garden
Some of the larger hotels have lovely lobbys with big fireplaces or garden areas
Stay home, lay out a blanket and eat beside a roaring fireplace
Location, Location, Location! Great choices of picnic locations include your local parks or river valleys. And don't forget about those wonderful winter activities and bring your lunch along to the local skating pond, sledding hill, or your favourite ski area.
Plan Your Menu If you are eating outdoors, consider bringing along some heated comfort foods to warm you from the inside out. Pack an insulated 'hot box' (see below) with a big pot of chili or homemade soup, and don't forget the hot chocolate!
How to Build a Hot Box:
Choose a box or container three to four inches larger than your pot of food (a pot made of thick aluminum or a heavy cast-iron kettle with a good fitting lid retain heat the best, but crock pots also work great).
Place a thick picnic blanket (or sleeping bag) into the box and wrap it around your food (use double layers). The blanket should be snug around the food and the box, if it isn't you'll need another blanket or a smaller box. Make sure that the food and its container are very hot! This should keep your food warm for 2-3 hours. The added bonus is that you can sit on the blanket when you're ready to eat!
Another method is to use newspapers, placing a 1-inch stack of newspapers on the bottom of the box. Line each side (and top) of the box with an additional 1-inch thick pad of newspapers.
Backpacks or Toboggans? How you transport your food depends on two things: where you are headed and what activity you will do. For a picnic for two, backpacks work great - just wrap a blanket around the food and stuff it in! For families, consider packing your feast into a hot box and onto a sled. Don’t forget cups, plates, utensils, and napkins (all preferably non-disposable). Be sure to pack a trash bag as well.
Dress in Layers Weather can change quickly, so it's best to be prepared even on the mildest of days. Remember to wear a base layer, an insulating layer and an outer layer (see Hiking Gear). And don't forget the hat and gloves, and (depending where you live) an umbrella. If you have children, bring along extra mittens in case theirs get wet from playing in the snow. (Extra socks are also a good idea.)
with some of my favourite gourmet 