Ten Quick And Healthy Party Snacks

In much of the world it is time for picnics and outdoor parties, and whether you make amuse-bouche or appetizers or just "snacks," millions of home cooks are looking for new ways to make tasty and nutritious bite-sized morsels to impress party guests or make their families happy. None of the simple suggestions in this article will get you an invitation to star on Top Chef, but all of them are easy to make and full of what's good for you, not to mention tasty. Let's start with little things on toast.
 

Citrus flavors on bruschetta

You have probably seen the little slices of toasted Italian bread dotted with a smash of garlic and a dollop of tomato sauce on top. Another way to serve this familiar appetizer is with lemon, lime, and ricotta. Slice a baguette or loaf of Italian bread into finger-length slices, brush them with olive oil, and toast under the broiler. Top this tasty and fairly healthy summer snack with a mixture of ricotta cheese, lemon zest, lime zest, thyme, freshly ground black pepper, and sea salt. You can set these up for serve-yourself at a summer picnic.

Leek and lemon mini-pizzas

Start by preheating your oven, preferably in which you have set a pizza stone. Saute julienne slices of the white stem of a well-washed leek with julienne slices of a washed and peeled Russet potato and a few sprigs of thyme until the leek is translucent and the potato is tender. Set aside. Prepare pizza dough as you would for making mini-pizzas (bonus points if you make your own from scratch), spreading each with ricotta cheese and then the leek and potato mixture. Shave lemon zest on top for additional color. Bake your mini pizzas until the crust is crispy and the cheese is bubbly and then serve right away.

Kalamata olives on bread, toast, or crackers

Make a Kalamata olive salad to serve on crackers or slices of baguette. Put Kalamata olives, anchovy fillets (if desired), 2 or 3 tablespoons of pine nuts, a clove of garlic, a peeled shallot, the juice of half a lemon, and 1/4 cup (10-20 grams) of fresh basil or rosemary. Pulse until roughly chopped. Add enough virgin olive oil, usually about 1/4 cup (60 ml) to give the olive salad a spreadable texture, and serve this tasty summer snack at room temperature. You can make this salad up to 5 days ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator in a closed container. The flavors will actually improve.

Fava bean and radish bruschetta

Did you know that fava beans contain dopamine, the happiness chemical? You can make an interesting bruschetta from boiled fresh fava beans and julienned radish. Boil the beans, drain them, and set them aside to cool. Make a salad from 2 or 3 large radishes you have julienned (daikon would also work), and about a teaspoon (2-3 g or 2-3 ml) each of lemon juice, lemon zest, chopped fresh mint leaves, and chopped fennel fronds. Add salt and pepper to taste and toss all these extras in with the fava beans. Slice a baguette and then brush the slices with olive oil before toasting. Take the toasted baguettes out of the over and immediately top with a thin layer of riccota cheese and a generous serving of the fava bean and radish salad. This particular summer snack is full of protein, thanks to the fava beans, and will keep your guests happy for quite a while!

Cream cheese and arugula toasts

Arugula isn't just a vegetable to make jokes about. It's also a great digestive stimulant that helps your stomach deal with barbecue later. You can make an easy hors d'oeuvre by spreading (spreadable) cream cheese on toast rounds (the kind you buy in the package is fine) and the sprinkling with chopped arugula, chopped chives, salt, and pepper. A light brush of olive oil before you add the other ingredients adds extra flavor.

 

Five More Low-Carb Party Snacks

All your party snacks don't have to involve toast, of course. Here are five more snacks that are sure to please guests of all ages while providing a minimum of carbohydrate.

Go nuts

Nuts are a high-fat food that have the paradoxical effect of helping you control your appetite so well that you can actually lose weight (about a pound a month) by adding nuts to you diet (about 3 oz/85 g a day). The Food Network's Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten, developed a now-classic recipe for hot and sweet cashews, pecans, walnuts, and almonds that fill up your guests while they are waiting to be served the main course. Preheat your oven to 350° F/ 175° C. Toss about 2 cups (200 g) each of cashews, pecans, walnuts, and almonds in a mixture of 1/4 cup (60 ml) orange juice, 1/2 cup (100 g) brown sugar, 1/4 cup (60 ml) maple syrup, and 1 tablespoon (15 g) chipotle pepper powder. (Chili powder will not work for this recipe because the cumin in the powder burns in the oven.) Toss the nuts in the mixture and spread on generously greased baking sheets in a single layer. Bake the nuts for 15 minutes, turning once, and then continue baking until golden brown. Remove the nuts, toss with salt and chopped rosemary, and allow to cool before serving.
 

Strong to the finish 'cause you eat your spinach.

The classic Spinach and Artichoke party dip is made with spinach and artichoke. Spinach is a highly alkalizing food, that helps your body use protein, and it also contains compounds that help your cells cope with high sugar levels (which can occur after party eating). Start by boiling two 10 oz bags (500-600 g) of fresh spinach. Drain, squeeze out excess water, chop coarsely, and set aside. Then heat a saute pan and add 2 tablespoons (20 g) of butter. When the butter melts, saute 1/2 a medium onion and two peeled and pressed cloves of garlic until translucent. Add 2 tablespoons (20 g) of flour and stir in until smooth. Next ad 1 cup (240 ml) of milk and 1 cup (240 ml) of heavy cream to make a cream sauce, which you take off the stove to add artichoke hearts, Parmesan cheese, sour cream, white wine, and cheddar cheese as desired, usually about 1/4 cup each. Stir in the spinach and serve with chips.
 

Make a Mediterranean vegan platter.

Place a bowl of store-bought hummus or tahini in the middle of a serving platter and surround with red, green, and yellow Bell pepper strips, carrot sticks, jicama sticks, black olives, cherry tomatoes in different colors, bean salad, and quarters of pita bread to make miniature sandwiches.
 

Cheese balls aren't cheesy anymore

Cheese balls have come back into fashion. It's easy to make your own cheese balls from a mixture of cream cheese and your favorite cheese (feta, cheddar, Swiss, and so on) in the food processor, if you are careful to bring your cheese up to room temperature before you start. Pulse a mixture of your favorite cheese and cream cheese with chopped chives, sliced shallot, and sliced, peeled cucumber until well blended, and then chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours on a sheet of parchment paper. (You can put your cheese ball in the freezer for an hour if you are in a hurry.) When the cheese is chilled, pull the paper over the cheese and shape into a ball, keeping your hands and the cheese clean by using the parchment paper. Just before serving, coat your cheese ball with chopped nuts or toasted poppy seeds, sesame seeds, caraway seeds, salt, and pepper.
 

Stuffed figs

Figs in season are the basis for party food that is both sweet and savory. You can tell if a fig is ripe by pressing it gently. If it is hard like an apple or a plum, it is not ripe yet. If it gives way slightly, it is ready to eat (and if it's mushy, it's too ripe). Mix 4 oz (110 g) of feta cheese, 4 tablespoons (60-70 g) of honey, 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of balsamic vinegar, and 4 oz (110 g) of chopped, toasted walnuts, and then stuff into ripe figs you have scored in a X shape on top. Serve at room temperature.

All of these party foods are packed with healthy fats that help your body absorb alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lutein, and lycopene. They provide branched chain amino acids that counteract excesses of protein consumption later at the party, and they also contain the kinds of healthy fat that help eaters control appetites. They aren't low-calorie, but they are high in nutrition, a great way to start any summer feast.