12 Tips for Healthy, Guilt-Free Entertaining

By Melissa Sperl

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When you're having guests over, some may be eating light, but others may clamor for rich foods like lasagna, chili and cherry cheesecake. How can you keep everyone happy and also maintain your own healthy diet?

By setting yourself up for success, says Melanie R. Polk, RD, director of nutrition education for the American Institute for Cancer Research. If you're organizing the menu, you have the perfect opportunity to include delicious, low-calorie options. Try the tips below while you're planning the menu, cooking and partying.

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Planning the Menu

• Start early. "A lot of recipes can be prepared ahead of time," says Jackie Newgent, RD, a culinary instructor at Peter Kump's New York Cooking School, who points out that ground meats can be flavored and formed into patties and then stored in the freezer until ready to use. Crisp vegetables, like carrots and celery, can be cut up a day in advance and stored in the fridge in containers with a tiny bit of water.
  
  
• Expand your menu so that more of the foods will work with your weight-loss goals. For example, if you're grilling, include veggie burgers. And throw on some vegetables such as portobello mushrooms and sliced zucchini or eggplant. Just brush them with a little olive oil (or olive oil-flavored cooking spray) and a bit of balsamic vinegar, season with salt and pepper to taste and put them right on the grill. Consider skewers: They're a great take on barbecuing and they also help with portion control.
  
  
• "Try three fruits or vegetables for every non-fruit or veggie item," suggests Jackie Keller, healthy eating educator and founder of NutriFit, a gourmet meal-delivery service in Los Angeles, California. And really make them look good: Choose colorful produce, cut it creatively and present it in your most beautiful dish.
  
  
• Don't assume your guests will riot if you don't serve cake and cookies. Try fruit-based desserts like cobblers or crepes — or mixed fresh fruit. Your guests will probably be relieved if you don't subject them to high-calorie temptations.

Cooking Light

• Make sure you're not ravenous while you're cooking, says Polk. If you're having a dinner party, don't starve yourself all day to "save room" — that will just leave you poorly prepared when you're facing all that food. Eat a healthy, filling lunch.
  
  
• Have someone else do the tasting. If you're tempted to eat while cooking, take a break and enjoy a low-calorie snack.
  
  
• While you're cooking, find substitutions. If you're preparing coleslaw, for example, you may want to use a little bit less mayonnaise, or opt for vinaigrette. Try using silken tofu in place of cream cheese in dips, dressings and frostings. Use ground turkey in place of beef in meatballs and chili. Ask your friends for suggestions, too. You might also invest in a low-calorie or low-fat cookbook.
  
  
• Precut baked goods into small portions and doggie bag any leftovers for your guests.
  
  
• Don't dress the salad. Place a variety of dressings on the side so that your guests can decide what to use and how much to put on.

Party Time

• Try making a modest portion of a rich dessert your reward for eating heaps of veggies and fruits during the rest of your meal.
  
  
• Make trade-offs. If you usually have two burgers, let yourself enjoy one, but pile on lots of dark leafy greens so that it fills you up.
  
  
• Don't let libations ruin all your hard work! At parties, calories tend to add up in the form of alcohol. Be sure to supply lots of delicious, refreshing alternatives to beer and mixed drinks, like flavored waters or diet soda.