Having lunch on the beach is the best way to eat outside. We’re not sure why, but food that’s close to the ocean always tastes so much better. It’s easy to see how a day at the beach could make you hungry. You shouldn’t have to choose between settling for soggy, gross cooler food or giving up your best spot to go to the snack bar, though. We’ve come up with a list of the best sandwiches, salads, snacks and desserts that are easy to make and fun to eat at! These are Flip Flop-Friendly recipes for the beach.
It can be hard to figure out what to bring to the beach with you. After all, there are a lot of things to think about when bringing food to the beach, like the heat, the cooler space, whether you want to bring tools, and the sand, which can get everywhere.
Without further ado, here are some of our favorite recipes from Delish and BBC Good Food for your next beach picnic inspo.
SANDWICHES
- Vegetarian Italian Sub
The Italian Hero is the king of sandwiches. It’s packed full of different kinds of cured meat, cheese, and crisp veggies that are great for you. They’re also the best party food because they go well with wings, chips, and a cold beer.
Get the recipe for the Vegetarian Italian Sub.
- Pesto and Cheese Windmill
These rolls are easy for the whole family to make. Put mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes, and pesto inside the whirls of dough. Bring them to the beach in one slab so that people can tear it up and share it on the sand.
Get the recipe for the Pesto and Cheese Windmill.
- Buffalo Chicken Nugget Burrito
You could almost call this a Buffalo chicken wrap because it has chicken bits and a crispy shell. If you love Buffalo chicken but need a quick and easy chicken dinner or lunch that you can pack, chicken nuggets will do the trick. Each bite will soak up all the tasty sauce. By cooking the burrito in a pan, you not only make it crunchy, but you also help the seam stay closed. This is our favorite way to make breakfast sandwiches ahead of time for camping, and it works even better here.
Get the recipe for the Extra-Crispy Buffalo Chicken Nugget Burrito.
- Chickpea “Tuna” Salad
Not sure about tuna fish salad? Instead, bring this chickpea salad to the beach! It tastes and feels the same, but there is no fishy taste or smell.
Find out how to make Chickpea “Tuna” Salad.
- Pinwheel Sandwich
They’re great for the beach because they’re easy to put together and look great on a plate. To make them, put ranch-flavored mayonnaise, chopped cheese, deli meats, and lettuce on top of flour tortillas. Now you just roll them up tightly and cut them. That’s it!
Get the recipe for Pinwheel Sandwiches.
- Chicken Taco Tortilla Hack
Here is yet another truly brilliant TikTok recipe. This one is easy: just fold your tortilla in half to make a wrap that will give you a perfect bite all the way through. Every bite will be crunchy, cheesy, and have all the toppings. We used the hack to make a chicken taco, but you can add any kind of toppings you want. You can even make it sweet like a crepe by putting Nutella, bananas, and other fun toppings in each section.
Click here to get the Chicken Taco Tortilla Hack recipe.
- Best Chicken Salad Sandwich
We’d say that this mix of toppings is the best, but once you get the chicken and sauce right, you can add your own style. No matter what you put on top of it, chicken salad tastes great on its own, on a croissant with pasta salad at a BBQ, or doused on a bed of leafy greens at breakfast.
Find out how to make the Best Chicken Salad.
SALADS
- Watermelon Quinoa Salad
During the summer, we love to eat bites of watermelon as a snack. But one of our favorite ways to enjoy the sweet and juicy fruit is in a salad. This watermelon salad has mint, feta, red onion, cucumber, and a balsamic glaze, just like the classic one. But it also has extra protein from quinoa, which is one of our favorite grains and is fluffy and healthy.
Get the recipe for the Watermelon Quinoa Salad.
- Greek Orzo Salad
Get ready for something different: orzo is here to shake things up. Not only do we love it in warm and comforting meals (like creamy Tuscan orzo), but it’s also great as a salad base. There are lots of bright Mediterranean tastes and mix-ins in this easy, fresh recipe. Feel free to use your favorite ones instead or add them in.
Find out how to make Greek Orzo Salad.
- Antipasto Potato Salad
For a standard summer side dish, potato salad is hard to beat. We love trying out new flavor combinations with it. This potato salad is perfect for those who want to make their usual potato salad healthier. It has all the tastes of your favorite antipasto.
Get the recipe for Antipasto Potato Salad.
- Thai Chicken Peanut Pasta Salad
The peanut sauce on this pasta salad is creamy, and there is no mayonnaise in sight. The salad is full of fresh, crunchy vegetables. You can easily make it ahead of time because it’s very easy to make and tastes great both hot and cold. Also, the leftovers are AMAZING.
Find out how to make Thai Chicken Peanut Pasta Salad.
- Greek Chickpea Salad
Being fans of a good chickpea salad, it was easy for us to make one with a Greek twist. It has all the tastes you love about Greek salad but is thicker, heartier, and goes with almost anything.
Get the recipe for Greek Chickpea Salad.
- Cowboy Pasta Salad
This is like a better taco salad (because it has pasta!). It’s great for BBQs and potlucks. You won’t be able to stop eating pasta salad after you add ground beef to it.
Find out how to make Cowboy Pasta Salad.
SNACKS
- Popcorn Snack Mix
This healthy popcorn mix can be made in less than 10 minutes the morning of your beach day. It’s great for eating and gives you a lot of energy. It doesn’t have any chocolate or anything sticky in it, so it’s nice and clean.
Find out how to make Popcorn Snack Mix.
- Savory Flapjacks
The classic “flapjack” is a chewy baked good made from oats and syrup. It’s popular all over the UK. This savory twist on the sweet treat might just be the perfect beach food. First, they cut up clean, so you don’t get any crumbs on your flip flops. Next, it’s full of mixed nuts and porridge oats, which are both great for giving you lasting energy. Finally, it’s versatile and can be sweet or savory depending on your mood. Personally, I love this cheese and chive version from BBC Good Food.
Get the recipe for Seeded Cheese & Chive Flapjacks.
- Air Fryer Crunchy Chili-Spiced Chickpeas
These chickpeas are crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. They are great as a snack or as a topping for salads, creamy soups, or grain bowls. You can also mix them with hot popcorn for a great, protein-rich movie snack.
You can get the recipe for Air Fryer Crunchy Chili-Spiced Chickpeas here.
- Creamy Garlic Hummus
Spears of carrot and cucumber are a cool and crisp snack that goes well with a dip that can handle the heat, like hummus. To keep them from getting squashed, just put them in a strong plastic container.
Find out how to make Creamy Garlic Hummus.
- Crudites and Avocado Hummus
If you want to put a twist on the classic hummus, try using some avocado. It adds vibrant color and a kick of flavor to any beach picnic spread. It’s easy and only takes five minutes to make avocado hummus the night before. Put it in a small, sealed container with sugar snap peas, carrot sticks, and bell pepper strips. You won’t have to wash the vegetables at the beach if you do it before you go.
Check out the Crudites and Avocado Hummus Recipe here.
- Crispy Fried Olives
We think that a box of these golden nuggets would be a huge hit at a beach lunch because they are the perfect size to pop in your mouth. These panko-crusted snacks are great on their own, so don’t bother with the mayo on the side. Make them the day before.
Get the recipe for Crispy Fried Olives.
SWEETS
- Prosecco Grapes
One of our favorite snacks for the beach is a cold, sweet apple. So why not make them more holiday-themed? It gives the grapes just the right amount of a buzz to soak them in vodka and Prosecco. We also love freezing them on sticks to make Prosecco grapesicles.
Find out how to make Prosecco Grapes.
- Fruit Salad
So many people love fruit salad as a snack on the beach that you might not think you need a recipe. You do, trust us. Here, fresh, tart orange juice, sweet honey syrup, and bright lemon zest work together to make your fruit taste even better, even if it’s not in season.
Get the recipe for Fruit Salad.
- Blackberry Squares
Everyone else on a day trip will be jealous if you bring these tart, tray-baked cakes to the beach. The sponge-based bake is strong and will hold up well in the sun. Cut ahead of time and bring in a tin.
Learn how to make Blackberry Squares.
- Banana Bread
Banana bread is thick and easy to carry. It also cuts well, even on the beach. A lot of banana bread and cake recipes get five stars, but this one from BBC has more than 1,500 5-star ratings.
Get the recipe for Banana Bread.
- Peanut Butter Protein Balls
You can eat these hearty protein balls whenever you want the taste of cookie dough. They have a variety of textures that make us feel like we’re eating a magic cookie bar.
Find out how to make Peanut Butter Protein Balls here.
- Blueberry Muffins
It’s easy to hold and even easier to eat. Blueberry muffins are a great way to snack at the beach. If you can’t find fresh berries, you can use frozen ones instead.
Get the recipe for Blueberry Muffins.
- Carrot Cake Flapjacks
You know we love pancakes! This sweet version is easy to cut and is full of nuts, seeds, cherries, oats, and spices. It’s better not to put on the frosting because it will probably melt in the heat.
Find out how to make Carrot Cake Flapjacks.
- Strawberry Shortcake Rice Krispie Treats
We changed our original Rice Krispies Treats to make them more summer friendly. Strawberry bits add a fresh taste to the Rice Krispies, and the white chocolate melts into them.
Get the recipe for Strawberry Shortcake Rice Krispie Treats.
- Ginger Beer
On a hot day, you should drink iced water, but at lunchtime, spicy ginger beer would be great. Fresh ginger, lemons, sugar, and fizzy water are called for in this recipe. We’d leave out the mint leaves because they’ll probably die in the sun.
Find out how to make Ginger Beer.
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