When you’re packing the picnic basket for your trip to the beach, think outside the box – or cooler, if you will.

Don’t just pack all the junk food you usually take. You’re at the beach, for goodness sake. Soaking up the sunshine, going for walks, breathing fresh air. You want to be healthy and fit. So try natural snacks instead of the chips and cookies.

All-natural popcorn: It’s a whole-grain food low in calories and high in fiber. It’s easy to eat at the beach. Just please don’t feed the popcorn (or anything else) to the seagulls.

Fresh fruits and veggies: Grapes, apples and bananas all pack great. So do raw vegetables like carrots and celery sticks. Bring along some all-natural peanut butter for a great combination.

Nuts and dried fruits: Put together a trail mix with pumpkin and sunflower seeds, dried fruits (cranberries, raisins, pineapples and chopped apricots are popular for mixes), and plenty of walnuts, pecans, cashews and almonds.

Water, water and more water: We cannot emphasize this enough. Staying hydrated is important while you’re soaking up those rays, and dehydration can slip up on you. If you like juice or tea, bring some of that, too, but don’t forget the water.

Whatever snacks you bring, be sure to put wrappers, bottles and cans in the proper bins to dispose of them.