Picnic blanket and a canopy or umbrella? Check! Plenty of sunscreen and a cooler full of drinks? Check! If you’re beach bound, the next thing on your checklist is probably food. But don’t get bogged down with paper plates and plastic utensils. You want to pack delicious, easy-to-eat food that’s portable and not super messy so you can extend your fun in the sun.

If you’re spending the day at the beach, you want to eat food that’s light and refreshing. You don’t want to worry about the wind whipping something away or accidentally shoveling sand in your mouth.

To start off, it’s always a good idea to pack the basics: nuts, crackers, chips and salsa. If you have kids, consider bringing some of their favorite heat-proof snacks as well, like Pirate Booty or Goldfish.

Avoid anything with mayonnaise, which can go bad in the heat. Cheese and crackers are an easy snack, but try French Brie or Camembert, which is oozy and delicious in the heat, rather than a hard cheese like cheddar, which can get oily in the sun. And if you’re bringing a dessert, avoid anything with frosting, which will melt.

Then, pack these great snacks for a day at the beach:

Wraps

It can be hard to make — or even eat — a traditional sandwich on the beach… the bread seems to attract the sand (and again, you want to avoid mayo). So instead, try sub-style sandwich on a baguette or any hardier type of bread. Or better yet, try a wrap. You can stuff tortillas with a variety of fillings, including cold cuts, chicken, beef, vegetables, beans and more. Lettuce wraps also work well on the beach. If you make wraps in advance, wrap them in foil, which will help keep the fillings tucked inside.

Fried Chicken

There’s a good reason fried chicken is classic beach picnic food. Whether you’re pulling up with hot and crispy chicken, or it’s leftover cold chicken, it’s always a great beach food too. It’s a great summer food, it’s easy to toss in a plastic bag and pack in a cooler, you can eat it with one hand, the sand won’t stick to it, and if your hands get messy, you just walk a few feet and hop in the water!

Skewers

Food on a stick is always more fun. And there are a lot of great beach-worthy options with skewers. Grilled meat and veggie kabobs are always a fan favorite, but you can also try something a little fancier. Eat and rainbow with a variety of fruit on a skewer. Cherry tomatoes, mozzarella balls and basil leaves make for a quick and easy caprese salad on a stick. Grill chunks of zucchini, bell peppers, onions, mushrooms and sausage. Or try something really refreshing, like spiced chicken with grape, or tomato, watermelon and shrimp skewers.

Fruits and Veggies

This one seems like a no-brainer, but you might want to think about the sand and drippiness factor (we’re looking at you, watermelon!) before you pack your favorite fruits and veggies. Try whole fruits like grapes, apples and blueberries. Peaches, oranges and nectarines are delicious too, but you’ll have to get rid of the peel and/or pits. For veggies, your best bets are raw veggies like baby carrots and celery.