Dinner parties often mean you have to compromise on your diet. It would appear that the menus used for most dinner parties are not diet friendly. Since we associate healthy foods with cardboard tasting diet foods we hardly want to serve that to our guests. Instead, we opt for rich creamy foods or foods with high carbs that make us have to loosen our belts by the end of dinner. However, it does not have to be that way. We can entertain while providing good food that will not compromise health or diet.
Tips for Serving a Healthy Menu
1. Provide ice water with plenty of lemon and limes on the side. You may want to provide sparkling water for an added touch. Of course you can provide a selection of drinks and juices. Mixing cranberry juice with sparkling water and a lemon or lime slice is delicious and low in sugar.
2. Remember that fats are not bad for you. Ditch the idea of low fat and focus on healthy. Coconut oil, olive oil, and real butter, are all options for cooking that are healthy. Guests will love garlic butter to spread on whole wheat or gluten free rolls. Rich and healthy oils give you plenty of flavor that does not compromise.
3. Remember portion sizes. Serve meat in its proper portions along with plenty of salad and vegetable sides.
4. Desserts can consist of fruit topped sherbet. Make a cake using a mix ( just the mix as this is a two ingredient cake) with one can of diet soda or a can of pumpkin puree. Try spice cake with pumpkin puree or chocolate cake and diet coke. Then top with fat free whipped cream and you have a tasty dessert. While low fat and sugar, keep in mind using a mix is not the healthiest of options.
5. Use herbs and seasoning to add flavor to your vegetables and meat. Focus more on meat and veggies and less on starches and pasta. Go ahead and use feta or blue cheese to add an extra special taste to your salads or meat.
6. If you want to serve a creamy dish try to substitute cream with fat free half and half or a low fat milk. For instance, when I make mashed potatoes, I use fat free cream cheese, fat free half and half, and fat free sour cream. I add in an herb Lipton soup mix for flavor. However, read your labels and determine if fat free is not the best option. If it is high in sugar or filled with chemicals it is best to stick with full fat. Just sub out potatoes for sweet potatoes or cauliflower for a healthier option.