Think cheese board, not lunch box.

The trick to an elegant picnic is to pack like a cheese board, not a school lunch.

Skip the sandwich in plastic wrap and the individually packaged snacks. Those scream cafeteria. Instead, pack finger foods that look like they belong on a grazing board: good cheese, cured meat, olives, grapes, nice crackers, maybe some marinated artichokes or roasted red peppers. The goal is color and variety, not convenience packaging.

How you pack matters almost as much as what you pack. Use a wooden board or a metal tin with separate compartments. Wrap things in parchment paper or beeswax wrap instead of plastic bags. Bring real utensils, cloth napkins, and actual glasses if you can. Yes, it’s more stuff to carry — but that little bit of ceremony is exactly what makes it feel like a date instead of a field trip.

One thing to avoid: anything that needs to be assembled or is messy to eat. No dripping sauces, no floppy sandwiches, no things that fall apart. Bite-sized is the whole game. And always pack one small sweet treat — a couple of macarons or dark chocolate squares do more work than a bag of chips ever will.

If you wouldn’t serve it on a nice plate at home, don’t put it in the basket.