A couple months ago I wrote an article about picnic tricks, but I didn’t include anything about food- well, let’s talk about it now! Picnics can be a lot of fun, but sometimes we just don’t feel like we’re up to hassle of preparing or dealing with food. But hopefully these tricks will help with that!

*Pack your spices in empty tic-tac containers to minimize mess and save space!

*Cupcake liners can be a real life saver. Poke a popsicle through one and use it to catch any extra drips- this would be especially handy with kids! But adults can definitely benefit from these too- turn them upside down and use them to cover your drinks! Just poke your straw through and you’ve got a makeshift lid to keep out unwanted bugs and debris!

*Pre-cut your apples and hold them together with rubber bands. You won’t have to worry about them browning, and the work will already be done!

*Cut your chip bags in half or push the bottom up inside itself to create a makeshift snack bowl, and to make your chips easier to access!

*Make skewers your best friend. Skewers are an easy way to make any food a finger food! You can do a skewer of sandwich bites or fixings, fruits, vegetables, or even dessert ;).

*Our drinks aren’t the only things we want to keep bug and critter free! Bring a few clean shower caps along for the ride as a convenient way to cover up your snacks when you’re not busy digging in ;).

*Use a muffin tin to keep your drinks standing up and not spilling all over! You can also use muffin tins to help keep things like silverware, napkins and toothpicks organized, or even condiments!

*Salad in mason jars are not just a cute trend- they are great for keeping those salads fresh! Just put the dressing at the bottom. You can also use a plastic cup with a lid, and use the straw opening to keep your fork. And who says you have to limit mason jars to salad? You can use

them to keep barbecue fixings, veggies and dip- use your imagination!

*We’ve probably all heard you should freeze water bottles instead of buying ice to keep your food cold, because you can drink it later too! But what about freezing filled-up water balloons? Your food will stay cold and you’ll have a very refreshing activity ready to go once they melt!

What picnic foodie hacks do you have to make the food part of your picnic a little less hassle? Share your wisdom in the comments below!