With the movers gone and your new home finally looking like it’s yours, now is the time to plan a house-warming party. But the thought of more fattening food is already making you feel sluggish. Don’t let your diet stay off track any longer! While working alongside moving services, people usually refer to fast food and other high-calorie options. Break away from those bad habits now before your goals plummet and have a party that has delicious, low-calorie alternatives that will please without overfilling. Instead of creamy, manufactured dips and oil-laden chips opt for more health-conscious items that will still tantalize your guest’s taste buds.
For a low-key finger food that will surely be a party favorite, choose low-ingredient and natural tortilla chips. All these chips need is corn, salt, and oil! Tasty and satisfying dips such as fresh guacamole and hummus will provide good calories that aren’t too filling. Here’s another scoop: you can lighten up a store-bought dip by blending one cup of fat-free plain yogurt or sour cream for a treat that satisfies without the bulk.
Always have fresh cut veggies at hand. Broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, bell peppers and so on make for lovely house-warming party foods since they give a satisfying crunch as well as a hint of creamy goodness when served with non-fat ranch dressing. Shrimp with cocktail sauce are a low-fat option that won’t cause tips on the scale. Warm, fresh vegetarian chili served in mugs will be cute and yummy and please those on a special diet. When baking something, instead of using oils or butter, substitute them for a cup of applesauce that will drastically cut bad fat while still keeping the cake moist and scrumptious.
Drinks are probably the most dangerous parts of a party. With high amounts of sugar in soda pop, one can easily drink a lot of calories. Reach for lighter versions, flavor water with anything from sliced oranges, lemons, limes, even cucumbers for something that is refreshing. Or create mocktails with juice and seltzer water. For kids, blend delicious fruit-filled smoothies with lots of fruits such as berries and bananas with some low-fat yogurt and a splash of milk for a healthy treat that they won’t deny. The easiest way to have smoothie-ready fruit is to buy a bag of frozen fruits. The best part is that they come pre-cut. Watch out for brain freezes!
While shopping, you should always reach for low-fat versions of dairy products. Look up slimmed-down versions of recipes online. Party foods such as chicken wings, burgers, even pizza have all been adapted to fit a healthy family’s style of entertaining. Host your get-together and munch with ease knowing that you’ve done a great job of cutting the calories without cutting the fun!