The picnic lightens up

Over the next several months, you probably will take a road trip with the family to a fabulous park, attend an outdoor concert, or settle down on a patch of grass for a few moments of sunshine and solitude. And you probably will have something to eat.

Whether the picnic is personal or a gathering of many, you will need to plan, then pack. These days, picnic-packing pros say there are several trends at play, including lighter meals with brighter flavors, plus an emphasis on eco-loving storage.

Lighter meals may be based on an appetizer spread, said Morgan Bedore of Philadelphia-based Stephen Starr Restaurants and Events, perhaps "great charcuterie and some really beautiful French cheeses, a baguette, and a couple beautiful spreads - an olive tapenade or a great smoked paprika hummus."

For those who want a three-course plate with a protein, starch, and vegetable, Bedore's team sticks to foods "that hold nicely at room temperature and actually develop better flavors," such as a grilled marinated flank steak on a bed of avocado and black-bean salsa, packing it all in recycled cardboard and plastic containers.

Consider packing picnics individually to make transportation easier. Then you're "not trying to take a big container of gazpacho and separate it into six small bowls," Bedore said.

In Napa, Calif., B.J. Pheiffer runs Vineyard Picnics to Go, with a local, seasonal, fresh focus. She packs meals using a natural waxed paper, natural parchment, plus eco-friendly boxes in red, black, and natural.

Among the meals on her picnic lineup? Duck confit, lentil ragout, and shaved fennel salad, plus cheese and fruit. Or a sandwich-side-dessert combo of Moroccan chicken with saffron aioli and sour mango relish, red quinoa salad, and carrot cupcakes.

"I like to use fruit and toasted nuts in my cooking," Pheiffer said. "They add a lot of flavor and texture."

Dress salads such as vegetable (potato, lentil) or grain (rice, quinoa) with vinegar and oil. Bedore said to try a mix of orzo, lemon vinaigrette, fresh mint, feta, and English spring peas.

Avoid deep-fried foods. "Most elements that are fried, with one exception - cold fried chicken - don't generally make the cut in a picnic basket," Bedore said.

Avoid raw seafood and other foods that degrade in quality if they sit out, even with proper storage (whipped cream, souffles).

Use artisanal, rustic bread. "It becomes a component of the sandwich," Bedore said, "not just a vessel the ingredients are served from."

Avoid soggy sandwiches. "Use some kind of a spread on the bread," Pheiffer said - butter, creme fraiche, a saffron-flavored aioli.

Beyond booze: Bedore suggests fruit waters (a small amount of pureed fruit, thinned with water) such as watermelon or pineapple with mint. Or try herbal iced teas or lavender-scented lemonade.

1. Cruise with your brews, say six bottles of a favorite microbrewed beer or soda in a neoprene six-pack carrier from Built; also in black. $23. At www.builtny.com/.

2. Hate food-storage containers that reek? Rubbermaid's new Premier line of containers uses Tritan plastic, which resists stains and odors. They're microwave, freezer, dishwasher safe. Sizes and prices vary, but start at $3.30. At retailers nationwide.

3. Sustain Lunch Set is Aladdin's recycled and recyclable BPA-free combo of microwave and dishwasher safe containers and tote bag. $25. At www.aladdin-pmi.com/.

4. Stack snacks (a quartet of spreads perhaps) in a bright plastic tiffin box. Hand wash. $20. At www.target.com/.