Healthy Or Happy? Your Summer Party Menus Can Do Both
I don’t know about you, but I try to eat healthy all week. Be that as it may, on the weekend, I like to “cheat.” So, when I get to create a summer party menu for a group of friends, I tend to serve my favorite comfort foods and snacks. However, if you or your friends would like healthier choices at your next summer party, I ran across some great ideas.
Summer Party Menus Can Keep Your Guests Healthy And Happy
I love to barbecue on the weekend. Beef, chicken, pork, even a nice chunk of salmon. But these days, not everyone eats meat. You see more and more vegetarian and vegan restaurants popping up all over the Las Vegas valley. Additionally, you now see entire sections of plant-based alternatives to meat at the grocery store.
At any rate, that got me thinking that I might want to search for some healthier summer party menu ideas. An article by Joy Bauer on Today.com offers plenty of suggestions. There are even a couple of videos you can watch where she demos some of her healthy choices. Click here to see them.
“Swap-Out” Certain Ingredients To Make Summer Party Food Healthier
I really like Bauer’s idea for taco night. Instead of using taco shells, corn or flour tortillas, she swaps those out for zucchini. Yup, zucchini. I hated that vegetable as a kid, but I do like it as an adult. First, she splits the zucchini length-wise right down the middle. Second, she scoops out all of the seeds to create a “zucchini boat.” Then, you can fill your zucchini taco shell with whatever fillings you choose. Pretty creative.
With a last name like Martino, you can count on the fact that I love meatballs. I especially love meatball heroes. Of course, meatballs and spaghetti in a must have every now and then. When I make my meatballs, I usually use Italian breadcrumbs in my recipe. Bauer suggests swapping out the breadcrumbs for rolled oats. What a great idea! I’ll have to try that next time.
In summary, I guess I’m going to put a little more thought and creativity into my next summer party menu. You don’t want your guests to leave hungry. Don’t worry, my favorite foods will still be on the menu. But there is no harm in having some healthier choices. Or I’ll take a cue from Joy Bauer and swap out certain ingredients to keep everyone healthy and happy!
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Larry Martino is the long-time afternoon drive personality on 96.3 KKLZ. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of Larry Martino and not necessarily those of Beasley Media Group, LLC.
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