What Should You Serve If Some Of Your Dinner Party Guests Are Diet-Conscious?

By Joanie Williams


You are planning an elegant      Just don't include a large    
dinner party, with delicious     bowl of stuffing on the side,
food and drinks. But you know    that's a highly tempting item
that two or three of the         most of us would have trouble
guests you really want around    refusing!                     
your table are trying to shed                                  
a few pounds.                    4. Include a pureed squash,   
                                 sweet potato or turnip dish   
Can you invite them with a       along with your vegetables and
clear conscience without        salad. Most green vegetables  
feeling you are sabotaging       and salad are no problem for  
their dieting efforts? At the    most dieters. Diet-conscious  
same time, can you mix them      guests can also choose your   
with guests who are not          pureed dishes instead of white
concerned about their weight?    potatoes or rice. These       
                                 dishes fill the plate the same
The answer is a resounding       way that potatoes and rice    
yes - as long as you take five   do. And they have the same    
simple steps.                    consistency as fluffy mashed  
                                 potatoes. The Atkins diet     
The five steps are all           even recommends pureed        
designed to give your diet-      cauliflower. Diet-conscious   
conscious guests inviting-       guests can decline potatoes or
looking choices they can enjoy   rice knowing they will still  
without risking their diet.      have filling side dishes.     
All of them have the bonus                                     
advantage that they are          In other words, your diet-    
inviting-looking for your non-   conscious guests don't need to
dieting guests as well.          feel deprived because they    
                                 still have the volume and     
1. Have a jug of sparkling       texture of mashed potatoes in
water available for pre-dinner   their vegetable purees.       
drinks. Garnish it with a                                      
lemon or lime so it looks        5. Fresh fruit with chocolate 
special, and be sure to serve    bonbons is a great end to the 
it in lovely glasses. Your       meal. Your guests can eat the 
dieting friends will be happy    fruit without worrying about  
to be drinking their sparkling   calories. And since they have
water while others drink         been so diet-conscious        
wine.                            throughout the evening, they  
                                 can treat themselves to a     
The trick is in the visuals.     piece or two of chocolate     
The sparkling jug garnished      candy.                        
with lemon or lime will look                                   
like a designer drink so         If you were to offer a        
diet-conscious guests don't      chocolate cake they might not
feel deprived drinking it.       be able to resist a piece. But
                                 there is a huge difference    
2. Let the eyes of your          between a small piece of      
dieting guests fall              chocolate candy and a serving
immediately on a safe            of cake and icing. So let them
appetizer choice for them.       choose just a taste of        
Position a low fat appetizer     chocolate instead of tempting
front and center of any other    them with a large serving.    
appetizer choices.                                             
                                 Now ask yourself will your   
A beautiful tray of crisp raw    diet-conscious guests feel    
vegetables or a tempting         deprived if they are served   
shrimp ring fills this bill      this kind of menu?            
very nicely. If guests can                                     
reach for attractive looking     - Designer garnished          
low fat appetizers, they won't   sparkling water to drink with
feel so tempted to reach for     appetizers                    
the more calorie-laden           - Appetizers of fresh         
choices.                         vegetable tray and/or shrimp  
                                 cocktail with lemon garnish   
Now you've gotten your guests    - Savory herbed roast chicken 
safely to the table without      or grilled steak              
them breaking their diet         - Squash puree                
resolutions. Keep on offering    - As many vegetable and salad 
choices that minimize any        dishes as you wish            
sense of deprivation.            - Fruit with chocolate        
                                 bonbons                       
3. Choose a main dish that                                     
relies on savory herbs for its   I think you know the answer.  
attraction. Don't choose a       Of course your guests won't   
dish that relies on a heavy      feel deprived.                
sauce or gravy.                                                
                                 Far from feeling deprived,    
Steak is a dish that most        your diet-conscious guests    
people can eat happily without   will probably heartily enjoy  
loading it with calorie-laden    your meal. And they will      
sauces. Roast or grilled         appreciate your thoughtful    
chicken is another such          provision of diet-conscious   
choice. A piece of chicken       but delicious choices that    
flavored with rosemary or your   still allow them to stick to  
herbs of choice smells good,     their diet resolutions.       
looks good and tastes                                          
delicious.                                                     
                                                               

About the author:
Joanie Williams has been giving dinner parties at home for over 25 years. She would love to hear your burning questions about hosting a stress-free dinner party at home. Just click here http://www.thedinnerpartyplanningsite.com/Diet-conscious


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