Classic Appetizers Made Healthy

Bigstockphoto.com/7 Layer Bean Dip shot made in studio
** Note: Shallow depth of field

It’s that time of year when everybody is firing up their barbecues, heating up their pools and opening up their backyard for parties and cookouts every weekend. Part of the reason people feel happier in the summer is because summer is a social time! But socializing usually means eating—overeating, to be precise. You’re mingling, you’re drinking, and before you know it, you’ve had half a family-size bag of chips with bean dip all to yourself and the burgers aren’t even ready yet. If you live for the appetizers at parties, then you’ll just have to learn how to make them healthy, so you don’t end the summer season looking like the pigs in the blankets you gorged on. Here are classic appetizers, healthified (yes, we coined a new term). So you won’t feel like you’re missing out.

Bigstockphotos.com/Child hands washing fresh vegetables for a healthy salad – the red bell pepper under the water stream of the kitchen sink, shallow depth

Veggie chip nachos

The toppings on nachos aren’t generally that bad (unless you’re a sour cream fiend), but the chips on the bottom bring in the empty calories. Try using little baked bell pepper triangles in place of the chips. You can also use zucchini slices, sweet potato slices…any veggie you like.