If your goal is to provide healthy food at your next dinner party and still have your guests come back again, consider these eight tips.
Dinner parties can be a great way to gather together friends and family to relax and reconnect. They are also an opportunity to delight guests with options that speak to their lifestyle and goals. More and more people are embracing a healthy lifestyle and food’s role in that lifestyle, changing tastes and expectations. If your goal for your next dinner party is to serve more nutritious food that doesn’t lack in the flavor department, these tips from Kristin Kirkpatrick, R.D. can help: Downsize your plates. Typical dinner parties involve several courses, and these courses usually appear on various-sized plates. The bigger the plate, the bigger the portion.
Expand appetizer options. Instead of serving cheese with crackers as an appetizer, try healthy bean or non-fat yogurt dips served with vegetables, roasted nuts, and grapes or apple slices. Don’t forget seasoning options. Just because it’s “healthy” doesn’t mean it can’t taste good. Citrus zest, toasted spices, and the classic garlic and onions can give you a major flavor punch.
The most beautiful meals are full of color. The more colorful items you serve, the more flavor you’ll pack into each bite—and as an added bonus, the more nutrition you’ll provide to your guests. This goes for when you’re roasting or browning vegetables, too. Don’t be afraid of golden brown. It’s much more flavorful than a limp spear of steamed asparagus.
Know your recipes. Test out your recipes first, or if obtaining them online, read the comments. You’ll find out how bland or flavorful it is, if others found the recipe to take longer or a lot shorter to prepare than indicated, or if it really isn’t what you were hoping it would be.
You can have dessert! Giving a healthy dinner party doesn’t mean you have to skip dessert. Dessert can taste great and be healthy at the same time. Fresh or roasted fruit is a great option.