Vegetarian food is a great choice for picnics, but it doesn't need to be complicated or boring. Try:

• Veggie sausages are a great alternative to meat versions. Try making your own or buy them ready-made. You can make these in advance and they’re quick and easy to prepare.

• Stuffed mushrooms can be made with any combination of cheeses and herbs, so they’ll appeal to all tastes—just keep the recipe simple by using one or two cheeses, like parmesan or feta, plus fresh herbs such as parsley or chives.

• Potato salad is a great way of using up leftovers—and it tastes amazing when you add sweet pickles and chives! Potatoes work well because they don't go soggy from having been cut up too long before eating them (unlike tomatoes).

Vegetarian sausages with a sweet chilli dip

• Vegetarian sausages with a sweet chilli dip

These easy-to-make, budget-friendly sausages are nutritious and delicious. They make a great alternative to traditional hotdogs, but can be expensive if you buy them from the shops. We've found that making your own vegetarian sausages is quite simple - just stick in an olive oil spray, some herbs and spices and then roll between two sheets of cling film until firm. We like these ones by Linda McCartney, which are made from soya protein instead of meat and come with their own barbecue sauce (which is also good for vegans). If you don't have any barbecue sauce on hand then why not make a homemade version? Just combine equal parts sweet chilli sauce and natural yoghurt together in a bowl - it will taste amazing!

Keep sausages cool with ice packs: Vegetarian sausages need to stay cold when they're being cooked away from home; otherwise they'll go dry and chewy instead of succulent. The best way around this problem is by keeping everything cool with ice packs placed inside your picnic basket or cooler box before leaving home.*

Stuffed mushrooms

These stuffed mushrooms are a great picnic food. They're portable, easy to eat and they're a hit with kids! Plus, they're healthy and delicious. The recipe below is a basic mushroom stuffing recipe that can be used with any type of mushroom or even without the stuffing at all as a side dish.

Here are some other ideas for filling your mushrooms:

• Sausage, cheese and spinach – Stuff your mushroom caps with crumbled Italian sausage seasoned with oregano and fresh basil; top each stuffed cap with mozzarella cheese before baking until bubbly on both sides (about 15 minutes). Remove from oven then spoon baby spinach over top followed by grated parmesan cheese before serving warm. Serve immediately or save in an airtight container until ready to serve later in the day/night (they reheat well).

Potato salad with fresh herbs from the garden

Potato salad is a perennial favorite at picnics, and there are many ways to prepare it. One of our favorites includes fresh herbs from the garden.

Start by cooking the potatoes until they are tender. Then add them to your salad bowl along with chopped fresh herbs, sliced eggs, and mayonnaise.

For an extra kick of flavor, try adding pickles or olives as well! The possibilities are endless!

Pesto pasta salad

Pesto pasta salad is a great choice for picnics, as it is easy to make, can be eaten at room temperature, and can be made the day before. It’s also a good option if you want something that will feed a lot of people with minimal effort—the most labour-intensive part of making this recipe is boiling water and cooking the pasta! As always when choosing ingredients, choose small ones that are easier for little hands to grip.

Falafel & flatbread.

• To make falafel, you'll need:

• 1 can of chickpeas (drained and rinsed)

• 1 large onion (finely chopped)

• 4 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)

• 2 tsp cumin seeds or ground cumin

• ½ tsp chilli powder (or more if you want it spicy!)

• Salt and pepper to taste

If you have a barbeque, mini pizzas are always a winner! Roll out some dough, top with tomato sauce, any veggies of your choice and cheese, then pop in the oven until the cheese is melty and brown. You could also try pizza pinwheels. Fold together tortilla wraps and cream cheese with pizza sauce or pesto, green peppers and spring onions, then cut the mix into discs and bake them until golden brown. Kids can eat them either plain or dipped in ketchup or barbecue sauce.

If you have a barbeque, mini pizzas are always a winner! Roll out some dough, top with tomato sauce, any veggies of your choice and cheese, then pop in the oven until the cheese is melty and brown. You could also try pizza pinwheels. Fold together tortilla wraps and cream cheese with pizza sauce or pesto, green peppers and spring onions, then cut the mix into discs and bake them until golden brown. Kids can eat them either plain or dipped in ketchup or barbecue sauce.

If you're planning on making pizzas at home but want to make them healthier than normal, try making a pizza base with wholemeal flour instead of regular white flour. Add some extra veg such as peppers or spinach too!

If you don't have time to make your own dough then use some tortilla wraps instead - they'll still taste great!

Make it fun by setting up a taco bar at your picnic. Place toppings such as romaine lettuce, diced tomatoes, avocado slices, grated cheeses and salsa in individual bowls so everyone can put together their own tacos.

Even if you're not a "cook," you can still make this dish. To set up your taco bar, place various toppings including shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sliced avocado slices and grated cheesees in individual bowls so that everyone can put together their own tacos (see our tips below). For serving accompaniments such as salsa and sour cream consider serving them on the side rather than mixing them into the filling—this will help ensure that everyone gets their fill of toppings without going overboard on any one item.

We've also included some drinks recipes to pair with these fun summertime snacks:

• Homemade Lemonade

• Homemade Sangria