Give summer picnics a healthy twist

Red Potato Salad signals that summer has arrived.

Warm weather and picnics go hand-in- hand. Potato salad is a picnic staple and is good with just about anything. It is a summer favorite that makes it to more backyard grilling sessions and church socials than almost any food around.

Potato salad varieties are legion -- mustard, egg, German, Greek. Here’s one, however, that can proudly carry the moniker “healthy.”

So bring your blanket, picnic basket and cooler (and a little bug spray) and enjoy the warm weather!

Red Potato Salad

2 lbs. small red potatoes, quartered

4 hard boiled eggs (discard yolks), cut into 1/2 inch pieces

3/4 cup fat-free mayonnaise

2 tsp. vinegar

1 tsp. sugar

1 tablespoon prepared mustard

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 sweet onion, chopped

2 celery ribs, chopped

1/4 cup pickle relish

1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley (and some for garnish)

Boil potatoes until tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. Drain, then cool for about 30 minutes.

In large bowl combine, mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt and pepper. Add potato pieces, egg whites, onion, celery, red pepper, pickle relish and parsley. Toss to coat or stir gently. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until chilled. Garnish with fresh parsley.