Slashfood Ate (8): Best foods to take to the beach

by Nicole Weston, Posted Jul 23rd 2006 @ 9:54AM

Summer means hot, sunny days and, if you live near the coast, day trips to the beach. You spend the morning prepping food and snacks, toss them into a cooler with lots of ice and hit the road. Most of the beaches out here - the good ones, anyway - don't offer a lot in the way of vendors, so except for the occasional hot dog stand or ice cream truck, you're on your own for beach-friendly sustenance. Fortunately, there are many good choices and here are a few that surfaced in our minds when we started to think about heading out for some fun in the sun (Besides, I had so much fun with the egg puns, that I couldn't resist...).

Sandwiches - Portable and versatile, you'll be able to find something everyone likes, but keep them in a cooler unless you're sticking to peanut butter and jelly
Sunchips - Multigrain chips that are less greasy, and more flavorful, than regular chips

Goldfish - They're not salt water fish, but they're still tasty. And because they're baked, their healthier than fried f
Sunmaid Raisins - Dried fruit is a great way to get in your 5-a-day without having to worry about bruising fresh fruit - although Sunkist oranges could be quite refreshing
Pecan sandies - Light and crumbly, these chocolate-less cookies will hold up well even to high heat, and they won't get soggy in the moist, coastal air. You can make your own or buy them.
Ocean Spray drinks - They're refreshing and now come packaged in individual servings. The resealable bottles keep sand out better than, say, a can of soda.
Sun Tea - You could actually make this in a water bottle at the beach, then cool it down in your ice chest before drinking it
Lifesavers - Lifesavers are a must at the beach. They're sweet and always ready when you need them.

I know there are some other seaside snacks that I didn't manage to catch. The sundaes and surf-and-turf won't travel well, but what else fits the list?

Filed Under: Spirit of Summer, Lists, Slashfood Ate
Tags: beach, cooler, lunch, ocean, punny, puns, road trip, sea, slashfood ate, snacks, summer, surf, travel