TREND ALERT: THROW A HEALTHY HOLIDAY PARTY!

Ever thought about throwing a “healthy” holiday party?? I’m not talking about forcing your guests to munch miserably on carrots & celery…but what if the usual heavy, sugary, waist-enlarging options that we so often see on party tables were replaced with delicious AND nutritious offerings? How about this year, we DON’T walk away from a party feeling 10 pounds heavier, vowing to fast for the next 10 days?? 

It’s totally possible to create a table RICH in color, flavor, texture, options, and…NUTRITION! 

Here’s my method:

1. I think of the food in terms of how I encourage my clients to eat on a daily basis: Greens, Fat, Fiber, Protein. I make sure that those elements are in abundance on the party table so that when the guests create their plates, they are likely to get all components. When we have G, F, F, and P in each meal, our blood sugar stays balanced....and if you follow “Life by Lori Z,” you know that balanced blood sugar is a major key to your wellness. Your guests will have happy taste buds, but will not end the evening with insulin spikes, mood swings, bloating, weight gain, inflammation, and insomnia! They just might leave feeling better than when they arrived!

2. Consider creating “boards” filled with a variety of colorful veggies for vitamins, nutrients, and fiber. To that, you might add probiotic right organic RAW cheeses for healthy fat, multi-seed crackers for more fiber and “crunch,” along with beet, red pepper, and garlic hummus + basil pesto. Olives offer more healthy fat. For protein, I make meatballs with organic, grass-fed beef that are amazing plain, or dipped in a variety of sauces. These are fun to spear with a toothpick and are gobbled up quickly! I also put out bowls of edamame for additional protein.

3. The dessert section consists of my homemade peanut butter or cashew butter protein balls, sprinkled with cocoa powder. I offer a raw blue cheese, dried apricots, dark chocolate covered almonds, and pomegranate seeds to hit the sweet spots.

I encourage you to try a healthy holiday party this year! Come January 1, you and your friends won’t be carrying more than you should into the new year—healthy party offerings can be and ARE fabulous. Be a trendsetter in your circle.

To get you started, here’s my recipe for nut butter balls…always a big hit! 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cashew, almond, or peanut butter

• 1/2 cup oats, can use Gluten-free

• 4 scoops protein powder (I’ve used: vanilla and chocolate protein powder)

• 1/4 cup maple syrup

• 3 tablespoons almond milk, or coconut milk

• 1 tbsp cocoa

• Sea salt

Directions:

Mix all together and roll into balls.

Cheers! Now go Party Like a Smartie!

-LZ