There’s few things better than a day at the beach. But one of the best ways to make an already great day even better is with the perfect food choices. However, the beach is a very different environment when compared to the standard dining room. As such the food choices need to reflect this warm, sunny and sandy wonderland.
The fact that the word sandwich has the word sand in it is coincidental. But it’s still the undisputed king of beach foods. One of the best things about sandwiches is that they’re a filling meal that’s perfectly portable. A sandwich usually doesn’t require any extra climate control. Even better, they don’t require any utensils to eat. It’s even fairly easy to eat them without a plate. A sandwich has all the convenience of snack food, while being a filling and often healthy meal. Finally, a sandwich is also easy to customize for almost any taste. Preparing sandwiches before heading out to the beach can even be a fun group activity where everyone shares their ideas with each other. The only caveat to enjoying sandwiches on the beach is that one should avoid ingredients that go bad quickly when exposed to higher temperatures. In particular, use of mayonnaise should be avoided unless the sandwich is going to be eaten fairly soon after one arrives at the beach.
Bananas are a surprisingly good match for the beach. They have a fun summer flavor to them. But in a similar way to sandwiches they can be eaten without eating utensils or plates. It’s one of the rare healthy and natural foods which essentially comes with it’s own wrapper. The only thing to keep in mind is that the banana peel will need to be properly disposed of after the meal.
Another healthy treat that brings up images of summer is watermelon. It’s a sugary delight that still manages to be fairly healthy. There’s few things better than something sweet that one can still consider a healthy choice. The only difficulty is that it requires a little more preparation and work to eat at the beach. It’s usually a good idea to slice the watermelon in advance and divide it up in plastic containers. The watermelon slices should then be kept in the fridge overnight before then transferring over to a cooler for the duration of one’s time at the beach.
Marshmallows are a classic choice. But they’re also one which is somewhat dependent on the actual beach environment. Marshmallows can be enjoyable on their own. But to really get the most out of them it’s almost a given that they should be cooked over an open flame. As such, they’re only going to reach their full taste potential if the beach is also hosting a bonfire. Thankfully this is a fairly common sight as dusk approaches at the beach. It’s a great way to end a day at the beach on a fun and tasty note.
Popsicles are a fantastic choice for the beach for a number of reasons. Of course they share, with watermelon, a need for a proper cooler. If that’s possible than popsicles should be considered a necessity for any day at the beach. Of course the most obvious benefit to popsicles is their temperature. Hot weather and cold popsicles are the perfect match for each other. The heat of the beach is almost flavoring for popsicles. They also have the benefit of versatility. One can of course buy them pre-made. But popsicles are also fairly easy to make at home. Using fruit juice to make popsicles can also give them a bit of a health boost. Like sandwiches, this also provides for some fun group activities before the trip. Everyone loves being able to come up with ideas for popsicle flavoring and sharing them with everyone else when getting it ready.