Healthy Entertaining: Holiday Appetizer & Drink Ideas

5 Healthy Appetizers

1. Dip. Everybody loves fruits and veggies they can dip. Serve up Cheddar & Parmesan Pear Dip, Ranched-Up Hummus, or Pineapple Tidbits.
2. Wraps. Create delicious finger sandwiches that will fly off the table. Use different combinations of vegetables and cheese in whole wheat tortillas. Cut them bite size and poof! They will be gone. Try Red Pepper & Spinach Wrap, or Wrap-It-Up!
3. Salads. Forgo pre-dinner nibbles and offer salad as the appetizer/first course. Recipes: Rubies & Greens, Apple-Beet Salad, Golden Glow Pineapple Salad
4. Soups. Whip up a batch of soup one or two days before your holiday dinner and reheat in a crock-pot for your appetizer. Put out mugs and let company help themselves. Try serving Apple Fennel Soup, Sweet Potato-Pear Soup, or Quick’n Easy Pumpkin Soup.
5. Cornucopia. Impress your guests with an appetizing, edible centerpiece. Either use a cornucopia basket or a cornucopia shaped bread loaf and fill with cherry tomatoes, snap peas, broccoli florets, mini peppers, or whatever you think your company might like to munch on before dinner.

5 Healthy Beverages

1. Coolers. Whip up coolers to impress guests. They are festive and easy to make. Recipes: Melon Cooler | Orange Cooler
2. Fruit-Infused Ice Tea. Steep tea with different fruits (lemon, lime, orange, raspberries, etc.) to enhance flavor and increase vitamin C intake. For extra appeal – serve ice tea with frozen fruit floating in it.
3. Paradise Freeze. Bring the tropics to the holidays. Serve up Paradise Freeze for a tasty beverage. Use frozen fruit if fresh is not available.
4. Citrus Punch. Make yummy citrus punch to share during the holidays. Create fruity ice cubes by freezing fruit chunks and water in ice cube trays; then float in the punch.
5. Hot Chocolate. Create a drinkable dessert! Win over kids of all ages by adding fruit to hot chocolate. Quickly blend a banana, raspberries, orange zest or whatever fruit floats your boat into the hot chocolate using a blender and everyone will rave about the final product.

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