5 Irresistible Romantic Picnic Date Foods for an Unforgettable Summer

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A picnic in the right setting is the ultimate in romance. But setting the right tone isn’t just about the location. Equally important are the picnic foods and how they’re presented.

Of course, not every romantic recipe is ideal for a picnic. There are considerations to be made on how the food will be transported and how long it can last out of refrigeration. After all, you don’t want your picnic foods to spoil before you ever sit down to enjoy this romantic meal. Luckily, I have several aphrodisiac recipes to choose from when it comes to romantic picnic date foods.

Here are my best tips on planning a romantic date night picnic along with five of my very favorite picnic recipes.

Table of Contents

What foods do you bring on a picnic date?

Planning a picnic is just like planning any other meal, only the foods need to be portable. Here are some key elements to keep in mind when planning a romantic picnic menu for two:

Picnic foods should be foods that are meant to be served cold or at room temperature.
They also need to be foods that won’t easily spoil or melt.
The best picnic foods are snack-friendly. They are dishes that can be grazed.
These are foods that are easy to eat but they need to feel special. Do not make the mistake of packing lunchbox foods for a picnic.
If you want to make your romantic picnic memorable, consider not just the setting where you serve the food but serving food that your lover has never tried before.

My favorite picnic food recipes for date night

These easy picnic food ideas stand out not only for their transportability but also for their aphrodisiac ingredients. They are all fairly easy recipes but they offer bold delicious flavors.

Enjoy these romantic picnic ideas with a bottle of wine, selected using my tips on how to choose a romantic picnic wine. Don’t miss my review of the best wine tumblers for romantic picnics. And check out this review of my favorite portable cocktail shots. Or, if you prefer to keep it non-alcoholic a thermos of lavender lemonade and plenty of water. Especially if your picnic involves a hike!

Bacon, Tomato and Avocado Picnic Sandwiches

This recipe is a variation on a vegetarian picnic sandwich from my second cookbook, Romancing the Stove.

I took my tomato and avocado sandwich and added an extra layer of aphrodisiac ingredients with the addition of crisp bacon. (Did you know that bacon is an aphrodisiac?)

The sandwich couldn’t be more simple to make. And you’ll love how well it packs up for travel, whatever your picnic or party destination.

Picnic Date Tarragon Chicken Salad

This Tarragon Chicken Salad is a variation on a classic filled with aphrodisiacs like grapes, celery and mustard. You’ll love how well tarragon, capers and grapes harmonize to make a tangy, salty, sweet chicken salad. It’s a classic only upgraded for romance.

The only problem with this recipe? There’s never enough!

I work with a lot of transporting of food and I want to give you one important food safety tip: It is important that any dish involving mayonnaise stays chilled during transport. If for some reason your chicken salad gets warm on the way to the picnic, do not serve it.

Vegetarian Picnic Tomato Mozzarella Salad for Two

This is one of the prettiest picnic recipes you could ever hope to make. And it’s an outstanding choice if you’re looking for vegetarian picnic food.

This variation on a Caprese salad is a beautiful combination of peak-of-season tomatoes with fresh herbs and the sharp tang of balsamic. Everyone who tries this one appreciates the layering of flavors in this recipe from award-winning food writer Christine Barrueta. When I want to take tomatoes to a picnic, this is the recipe I use.

The Perfect Lobster Sandwich

This unique play on a lobster roll has it all: luxury ingredients, a combination of creamy and crunchy textures, a surprise of salt and the sweetness of delicate lobster meat. It is definitely one of my most sophisticated picnic recipes.

If you want a luxurious picnic recipe that screams fall into my arms right now, this is the one.

Just make sure that the salad stays chilled until serving.

Minted Bulghar Salad with Pine Nuts & Feta

Healthy, vegetarian and layered with aphrodisiac ingredients, this bulghar salad is a great choice for a picnic because it will leave you feeling satisfied, not stuffed. Its Mediterranean flavors and colors are just exotic enough to make you feel like you’ve taken a brief vacation to a sunny Greek island.

Picnic packing tips

Whatever recipe or recipes you choose for your romantic picnic date, don’t forget about the presentation. A romantic picnic basket packed with crisp, linen napkins, silver flatware–please don’t pack plastic–a couple of good ice packs, portable wine tumblers and a colorful and soft and comfortable picnic blanket will go a long way toward making your couples’ picnic date night a memorable occasion.

Featured image by Jelleke Vanooteghem

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Amy Reiley

Eat Something Sexy's Creator & Editor-in-Chief Amy Reiley is the award-winning author of five aphrodisiac cookbooks. She has her Master of Arts in Gastronomy, awarded by Le Cordon Bleu and The University of Adelaide. She is also a Certified Nutrition Coach awarded by the International Sports Sciences Association and she is a California Certified Massage Therapist.

Amy is considered a leading authority on aphrodisiacs. Her work in aphrodisiacs is quoted in publications including National Geographic, The New York Times, Epicurious, Wine Enthusiast, Health and Playboy magazines. She speaks internationally on aphrodisiac foods and has brought her knowledge of aphrodisiac history and science to national television shows including The Today Show and CBS Early Show. She is a frequent guest on relationship and lifestyle radio and podcast shows and has been interviewed by BBC and NPR radio, Cosmopolitan radio and popular podcasts including My Dad Wrote a Porno.

Amy is also a freelance food, wine and health researcher and writer as well as a wine competition judge. Her work has appeared in publications ranging from Variety to The Daily Meal. She is an MSN content provider. And she is also a former wine editor for Gayot.com and wine & spirits editor of Las Vegas magazine.

Fun fact: Amy was the creator of the first ever comprehensive food and wine apps, Amy Reiley's Pocket Gourmet and Amy Reiley's Pocket Vineyard for Palm.