Healthy entertaining made easy!

Your guide for putting together healthy nibbles and delicious platters…

I really enjoy sharing food with others and a delicious platter is the epitome of that, I reckon. The problem is that many of the foods you commonly find on a snacking platter are really not that healthy: high saturated-fat dips, creamy cheeses, salty crackers, white bread and fatty meats. Then there are those more ‘bar-style’ platters with deep-fried everything: chips, crumbed fish bites, chicken wings and so on.

Most people don’t realise that if they share a platter in a bar before dinner, it is possible to eat more kilojoules/calories and fat than you need for not just one, but possibly two of your complete meals! Here is an example:

• 6 Sesameal crackers (over 30 per cent fat each) with slices of brie on top
• 4 slices of salami
• 2 cocktail sausages
• a handful of chips with Kiwi dip
• Total = 4540 kilojoules (1135 calories) and 84g fat (that is 21 teaspoons worth!)

It can be a real trap, particularly if you are a really social person, and all through summer this seems to be happening every second day! Below are some ideas of what you can put on your ‘healthier platter’:

Veges

• cherry tomatoes
• snow peas
• carrots
• celery
• raw or blanched and cooled broccoli and cauliflower florets
• capsicum
• courgette sticks

Fruit

• bunch of grapes
• strawberries
• blueberries
• wedges of orange and/or kiwifruit

Healthy protein

• cold, lean sliced meat
• smoked salmon
• shredded chicken chunks
• chicken kebabs
• lean meatballs with tomato chutney
• micro-mini frittatas
• dips based on pulses or yoghurt – see recipes here

Healthy fats

• raw nuts and seeds
• olives

Extras

• gherkins
• sun-dried tomatoes
• edamame beans

For more great ideas for eating well and feeling fabulous, get yourself a copy of my book, Lose Weight for Life.