{"id":51213,"date":"2011-07-18T12:23:23","date_gmt":"2011-07-18T17:23:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dietsinreview.com\/diet_column\/?p=51213"},"modified":"2011-12-27T12:40:46","modified_gmt":"2011-12-27T17:40:46","slug":"healthy-and-fresh-appetizers-for-outdoor-parties","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dietsinreview.com\/diet_column\/07\/healthy-and-fresh-appetizers-for-outdoor-parties\/","title":{"rendered":"Healthy and Fresh Appetizers for Outdoor Parties"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Appetizers and finger foods can be the most exciting part of a meal – sometimes they even steal the show from the main dish itself. In the summertime, chips and dips might be convenient but they aren’t always the healthiest pair.<\/p>\n

Next time you need a healthier appetizer or hors d’oeuvre, ditch the bag of chips and store-bought salsa and make slimmer versions of your favorite meal starters.<\/p>\n

Instead of Ranch or Onion Dip…<\/strong>
\nBlue Cheese Dip<\/a><\/strong>. Most prepackaged dips and mixes have a lot of calories, fat, sodium and even sugar. Making your own, especially one perfect for the Atkins Diet<\/a><\/strong>, is a healthier alternative to your store-bought standby.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Instead of Salsa Con Queso…<\/strong>
\nAda Wong’s 7 Layer Dip<\/a><\/strong>. A protein-packed alternative to the Mexican-inspired dip that finds its way onto many tables as a pre-dinner feast, this Biggest Loser finalist’s 7 Layer Dip recipe has less than 150 calories per serving and is just as delicious as the more fattening alternative.<\/p>\n

Instead of Pigs in a Blanket…<\/strong>
\nLower Calorie Pigs in a Blanket<\/a><\/strong>. Hot dogs are traditionally one of the more fattening items you can place on your picnic menu. Since pigs in a blanket are often wrapped in buttery dough, only two or three small pieces can be a calorie bomb. Substitute in flaky phyllo dough and lower-fat beef franks for a slimmer option.<\/p>\n

Instead of Party Mix…<\/strong>
\nMultigrain Soy Trail Mix<\/a><\/strong>. Party mixes with nuts, pretzels, crackers and chips can be loaded with fat, not to mention sodium and carbohydrates. This mix, with a base of multigrain Cheerios and roasted soy nuts, is rich with fiber and protein – not calories.<\/p>\n

Instead of Cheese & Crackers…<\/strong>
\nSalmon & Cucumbers<\/a><\/strong>. If you’re looking for something as elegant as a cheese plate but lighter on the calories, stick with cucumbers instead of crackers. Smoked salmon, onion and dill add plenty of flavor to a small amount of cream cheese for a fast and simple starter.<\/p>\n

Also Read:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Healthy Main Dishes for Picnics and Parties<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Plan a Healthy and Fun Summer Picnic<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

5 Healthy Burger Recipes for Barbecues<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Appetizers and finger foods can be the most exciting part of a meal – sometimes they even steal the show from the main dish itself. In the summertime, chips and dips might be convenient but they aren’t always the healthiest … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3695,16],"tags":[3781,2483,3957,3929,1966,885,4096,2413,3955,1867,4069],"class_list":["post-51213","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-diet-and-nutrition","category-recipes","tag-ada-wong","tag-appetizer","tag-blue-cheese","tag-dip","tag-hot-dogs","tag-party","tag-picnic","tag-salmon","tag-salsa","tag-summer","tag-trail-mix"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dietsinreview.com\/diet_column\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51213","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dietsinreview.com\/diet_column\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dietsinreview.com\/diet_column\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dietsinreview.com\/diet_column\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/32"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dietsinreview.com\/diet_column\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51213"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/dietsinreview.com\/diet_column\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51213\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":60984,"href":"https:\/\/dietsinreview.com\/diet_column\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51213\/revisions\/60984"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dietsinreview.com\/diet_column\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51213"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dietsinreview.com\/diet_column\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51213"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dietsinreview.com\/diet_column\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51213"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}