The Green Picnic Experiment

Summer is finally on its way! At long last, we can wear summer clothes and walk barefoot in the grass without sinking into the mud. We can sit outside in the sunshine. Better yet, we can sit in the sunshine and eat. That's right, it's picnic season!

For unknown reasons, food that is perfectly tasty when eaten inside is amazingly delicious when eaten outside. Now, what if we took the picnic and made it eco-friendly? It certainly would be healthier for you and the planet, but would the food taste even better? There's only one way to find out — with the green picnic experiment.

Whether you plan to picnic on a beach, in a park, on a mountain or in your own backyard, "greening" your picnic is easy. Here's how:

Let's start with the basics. For the casual picnicker (or the picnicker on a budget), fill a washable cloth shopping bag with re-usable plates and utensils from your kitchen. For the lunch-break picnicker, try this stainless steel lunch box. If you're feeding a crowd, stock up on tableware made from bamboo or recycled plastic. Finally, for the ultimate picnicker, there's the eco-friendly picnic basket. This one, from Uncommon Goods, comes with bamboo plates and utensils, wine glasses made from recycled glass, and washable cotton napkins.

Now, what does one drink on an eco-friendly picnic? Water is always a good option — bring your own in a reusable water bottle like a stainless steel Klean Kanteen. If you're looking for something a little more exciting than water, consider environmentally friendly wine. Sustainable wine is often labeled as "organic" or "biodynamic" and is produced by vineyards around the world. For those of you who don't want to lug a heavy wine bottle with you to your picnic destination, Klean Kanteen also makes a lightweight stainless steel wine karafe.

Not an oenophile? There are plenty of eco-friendly beer options as well. Choices include organic beers like Peak Organic and beer from companies that do their best to minimize their impact on the environment like Full Sail Brewing Company, New Belgium Brewing Company and Allagash.

Of course, we can't do this picnic experiment without food, so stock your picnic basket with local seasonal produce and other organic goodies, and BON APPETITE!