Does anyone have tips for keeping sand out of your food at the beach?

Bento boxes have sides and if you consume your food out of those individual ones, and keep a low umbrella over the whole enterprise, you'll be less likely to have the sand enter your food!

Bento boxes have sides and if you consume your food out of those individual ones, and keep a low umbrella over the whole enterprise, you'll be less likely to have the sand enter your food!

wax paper sandwich bags, kinda help, there is no solution
maybe the beach is not for you

Bring a gallon of tap water with you. The main culprit for the sandy sandwich is the sandy hand. It's impossible to desand with ocean water.
otherwise, you can used parchment paper to make a little cuff for your sandwich or wrap. This generally keeps the sandy hands away from the food. I find that burrito style wraps with waxed paper are he perfect beach food.

There is already sand in food its called silicone dioxide lol

... a product category for the new "Provisions"

Another potential solution is to pack your sandwiches etc in tiffin walla pails. These are the traditional Indian lunch bucket. They are compartmentalized and they clamp down really tight. Hopefully you've wrapped up your sandwiches and so on before they go in. Of course, once you take them out...

The Sharks shot down an inventor with a product called Duro? Which protects food from bugs and such at a picnic. Might be an answer...might not be as well.

Wow! I thought that sand was the special spice that the beach provides.

I love this question! But sadly, my answer is that it's impossible! It's particularly impossible when you have a baby who is just learning to love solid foods. In my experience, babies love to eat sand, and parents must take it in stride until they just can't stand it anymore and pack up the towels and the cooler to go home to be horrified--just horrified!--by the diaper.

I like using the plastic wrap/aluminum foil combo. First wrap the sandwich with plastic wrap (This keeps the water out from the cooler) then aluminum could be wrong but seems to help it stay cooler longer. And just pull away as much of the wrapper to you going to eat that way you can reseal it if want to save the rest for later.

This makes me want to get to the beach! They make very cute beach bags these days, but a plastic cooler with a tight lid is better for keeping out sand. It also helps not to multi-task while you’re eating (playing cards, pulling your kid out of the undertow, reading the September issue of Vogue, answering email, etc.) – you don’t want to be the poor sucker who drops their tuna Nicoise sandwich in the sand. That reminds me: always pack extra for that poor sucker. At least some extra beer to ease their pain.

But, as Hilarybee mentions, it's not so bad to eat some sand. "You haven't lived until you've eaten a peck of dirt."

Great question, no easy answers! I ate many, many a sandy PB & J sandwich growing up. I like to think it strengthened my immune system. I don't know if you have grills or grill pits where you are? My mom would sometimes pack hot dogs or (un)grilled cheese in a cooler. We'd go to the pits, cook them up and eat a picnic table. Least sandy beach meals I experienced.

I'd pack everything plastic food containers or disposable paper containers. You can also put a large cloth or towel over the food until you're ready to chow down. Sorry I don't have any solution for sand that's being whipped around by wind. Maybe an umbrella or a small portable tent/canopy with mesh sides would help here.

Keep your food out of the sand? This is a tough one.

We have been successful by using a portable folding table - it raises food up from being on a blanket on the beach sand. Can't do much about wind though. Find a sheltered spot to set up the food station.

It's really hard and I agree with Bill F. however I have found these food covers help alot , they protect your food from blowing or projectile sand http://www.amazon.com/Handy-Gourmet-Set-Food-Covers/dp/B000EYFV4M

Keep the golden retriever out of the way as she tends to dig up the sand! ;)

This isn't gonna help but I've been going to the jersey shore for about 20 years and have never successfully avoided sand in food. Sand is everywhere, it even blows three the air without you feeling it.