Dietician’s Digest by Amy Pleimling

The holidays bring celebrations. Celebrations bring food. I’ve written a number of healthy holiday eating articles, and one tip I share often is this: When you go to a party or get-together, bring your own healthy option. This way you know you will have one dish that won’t bring you guilt.

I have found bringing a healthy alternative is much appreciated by other guests and is a great conversation piece. People ask: “So, what did you bring?”

Here are some of my favorite healthy party foods (portion control goes without saying, doesn’t it?):

 

1. Shrimp cocktail

Many people are surprised by this because they have heard that shrimp is high in cholesterol.  Shrimp, like any other protein from an animal, does have cholesterol. It does have a bit more than a chicken breast but also has a lot less than an egg. Shrimp has no fat, no saturated fat, and the best part for your holiday party — it is very low in calories. Four large shrimp contain only 30 calories, no fat and 40 mg cholesterol. Adding cocktail sauce will add about 30 calories, but you are still better than most of the other options — especially anything cheesy.

 

2. Bruschetta

Bruschetta is a tomato, garlic, basil, oil mixture and is usually served on top of a thin slice of white French bread or baguette. The white bread can easily be changed to a healthier multigrain or whole grain option; the oil should be limited but what is there is a heart-healthy unsaturated fat; fresh garlic and basil are of course wonderful; and then you pile on the tomatoes! Tomatoes make “super-food” status often because of their high antioxidant level and of course they are very low in calories. How many cups of cut-up tomatoes do you think you can have to equal the same amount of calories in an ounce of regular potato chips (that is 15 chips, no dip)? The answer is 5! There are the same amount of calories in 15 chips and 5 cups of tomatoes.

3. Smoked salmon

Most people have heard the American Heart Association recommendation to eat fish twice weekly.  Salmon is a perfect choice. Not only is salmon an excellent source of protein and vitamin B12 but it contains the heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. The AHA recommends those with heart disease consume about 1 gram of the omega-3 fats EPA and DHA, preferably from fatty fish. A 4-ounce serving of salmon has about that. Smoked salmon is as easy as opening a can or pouch. Serve with a nice multigrain or whole grain cracker and your heart, and friends, will thank you.

 

4. Vegetable tray with hummus

Hummus is pureed garbanzo beans, blended with a bit of olive oil, tahini (sesame seed paste) and oftentimes garlic. Try this hummus dip and you are sure to impress: spread a jar of garlic-flavored hummus on the bottom of a serving platter, sprinkle with chopped tomatoes, green onions, cucumbers and black olives. Top this with a bit of crumbled feta cheese (a little feta goes a long way). Serve along with fresh veggies or whole grain crackers.

 

5. Popcorn mix

A serving of popcorn is about 140 calories for 3-4 cups. You get much more in quantity than a serving of crackers or chips. Popcorn is a good source of fiber as it is a whole grain. If you air-pop, pop in a small amount of canola oil or choose a healthy pre-popped popcorn, you can make this into something fun, tasty and healthy by adding little extras.  Those extras are limitless but could be nuts, chocolate, cereal, herbs and spices, etc. There are a lot of popcorn mix recipes out there in which the extras can turn into significantly extra calories too but being intentional about keeping it basic will make it a healthy option.