A Nutritional Therapist’s Guide To Healthy Dinner Parties

– By Tracy Tredoux

Dinner parties are a wonderful way to bring friends and family together, but they often come with the temptation to indulge in less healthy food and drink choices. Whether you’re a steadfast healthy eater or someone who is more flexible with their diet, navigating a dinner party in a way that doesn’t derail your health goals can be a challenge. The key to success is planning and making mindful choices without sacrificing the joy of the occasion.

Here are Tracy Tredoux’s top tips for hosting or attending dinner parties in a health-conscious way:

1. Focus on Balance, Not Dieting: Instead of trying to restrict, aim for balance. It’s more realistic and achievable, especially when socialising. This approach allows you to enjoy the party without feeling deprived or guilty.
   
   
2. Plan Your Menu: The excitement of hosting or attending dinner parties can disrupt regular eating patterns. If you’re hosting, take the time to plan your menu, ensuring you have healthy options available. If you are attending, why not bring along a healthy side dish? Your host will thank you.
   
   
3. Make Smart Drink Choices: When it comes to alcohol, opt for lighter options, such as white wine spritzers, and make sure to drink plenty of water. Avoid drinks that are creamy or laden with sugar.
   
   
4. Set Yourself Up to Make Good Choices: Never attend a dinner party on an empty stomach. Eating a balanced snack beforehand helps to curb cravings and allows you to focus on socialising. When hosting, avoid munching while you cook. Have a small snack before you start preparing the meal. Be disciplined and allow yourself to enjoy the dinner party food once your guests have arrived.
   
   
5. Stay Hydrated. Drinking plenty of water throughout the party can help prevent overeating and ensure you feel better the next day.
   
   
6. Opt For a Low-GI Dessert. One of Tracy’s favourite dinner party desserts is a mixed fruit platter, such as the bottom-left image, or a lower-GI option consisting of berries, grated dark chocolate, roasted coconut flakes, and mint leaves for decoration.

Here is Tracy’s “cheat sheet” of dinner party foods to choose from and those to avoid:

Starters
Avoid: Bread, Pastry-based starters, pâté.
Choose: Melon and Parma ham, soups, smoked salmon, and salads.

Mains
Avoid: Heavy gravies, excessive starchy sides.
Choose: Lean proteins (like turkey or grilled fish), a moderate number of whole grains or roasted new potatoes, and plenty of steamed or roasted vegetables.

Pudding
Avoid: Heavy cakes, creamy desserts, high-sugar options.
Choose: Lighter desserts like fruit salads, small portions of vanilla ice cream, or cheese with oatcakes.

For delicious and healthy recipes, inspiring blog posts and more top tips, visit Tracy’s website www.tracytredoux.com. To learn more about how you and your family can transform their health, get in touch to book a free 30-minute discovery call today.