Looking for low carb low fat appetizers for 4th of July

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My entire family is technically medically obese (except for my dad and me). Two brothers and their wives and a sister have lost 50 pounds each on average in the past year. Several of them are fairly panic-stricken that they'll start gaining back the weight. There's no way in hell I want my house or get-together to be a trigger for them grabbing a brownie. Or ten. So, call me boring, fine, but on Friday, I'll have only low fat, low carb food. To those posters with ideas: thanks!

They're going to gain it back. You can't go low carb, or low fat forever. It's impossible to sustain. I know you want to support them, but no one can live in a low carb/low fat microcosm for the rest of their life. Carbs aren't the enemy, and neither is fat - but quality of carbs and fats are where its at. Every person I know who's done those stupid fad diets has lost weight... and gained it back (and then some). It's a terrible cycle, and the yo-yo-ing is often less healthy than just stabilizing in being overweight (look at Tom Hanks, who now has type 2 diabetes from the yo-yo-ing he did for his move roles)

I've lost over 50 lbs, through exercise and moderation, with no restriction. It's slower, but that's sustainable for the long term. It's so much more liveable.

[Anonymous]

Calories come from 3 macronutrients: fat, carbohydrate, and protein. So if you are trying to do both low carb and low fat, you should, by definition, be going with high protein.

Of course that's not really how people eat. But our daily calories have to all come from those three groups. Balancing them in the right way for your body is key. For most Americans, we are eating way too many of our calories from carbohydrates, as we have been told to do since the low fat thing that started in the 70s and 80s.

My advice for planning a party with healthy food is to have things like rich dips (baba ganoush or spinach artichoke dip for ex) with veggie dippers like carrots and cukes - you can cut the veg into planks. Grill some chicken drumsticks and serve with a big green salad tossed with balsamic vinaigrette. Make herbal iced tea in an interesting flavor. White wine for adults.

Just go with "real" home cooked food and don't put out doritos, sodas, and other party crap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My entire family is technically medically obese (except for my dad and me). Two brothers and their wives and a sister have lost 50 pounds each on average in the past year. Several of them are fairly panic-stricken that they'll start gaining back the weight. There's no way in hell I want my house or get-together to be a trigger for them grabbing a brownie. Or ten. So, call me boring, fine, but on Friday, I'll have only low fat, low carb food. To those posters with ideas: thanks!

They're going to gain it back. You can't go low carb, or low fat forever. It's impossible to sustain. I know you want to support them, but no one can live in a low carb/low fat microcosm for the rest of their life. Carbs aren't the enemy, and neither is fat - but quality of carbs and fats are where its at. Every person I know who's done those stupid fad diets has lost weight... and gained it back (and then some). It's a terrible cycle, and the yo-yo-ing is often less healthy than just stabilizing in being overweight (look at Tom Hanks, who now has type 2 diabetes from the yo-yo-ing he did for his move roles)

I've lost over 50 lbs, through exercise and moderation, with no restriction. It's slower, but that's sustainable for the long term. It's so much more liveable.

Whatever works for you. Great! You understand that's not what works for everyone, right? Whatever, I won't be the one providing salami/cream cheese pinwheel pastry puffs or make your own sundae bars.

Please keep the cucumber cup ideas coming!

And still looking for eggplant and cherry red toes per ideas. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Calories come from 3 macronutrients: fat, carbohydrate, and protein. So if you are trying to do both low carb and low fat, you should, by definition, be going with high protein.

Of course that's not really how people eat. But our daily calories have to all come from those three groups. Balancing them in the right way for your body is key. For most Americans, we are eating way too many of our calories from carbohydrates, as we have been told to do since the low fat thing that started in the 70s and 80s.

My advice for planning a party with healthy food is to have things like rich dips (baba ganoush or spinach artichoke dip for ex) with veggie dippers like carrots and cukes - you can cut the veg into planks. Grill some chicken drumsticks and serve with a big green salad tossed with balsamic vinaigrette. Make herbal iced tea in an interesting flavor. White wine for adults.

Just go with "real" home cooked food and don't put out doritos, sodas, and other party crap.

Thank you! Jason, right ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm looking for an idea of what to uses to stuff cherry red peppers, if anyone has and good suggestion.

Stuff with Boursin cheese then cut into little circles

[Anonymous]

For eggplant slices into circles and then bake or pan fry on both sides. You can top it with crumbled feta or other cheese, or olive topenade, or deli meat, or whatever you want. Another good low carb appetizer is broccoli salad with bacon onions and mayo.

[Anonymous]

Gazpacho.
Grilled veggie skewers with rosemary.
Grilled salmon or chicken.
Watermelon for dessert.

[Anonymous]

For eggplant, do you always salt, rest and rice before baking or grilling? I feel I've tried everything and can never get eggplant to taste as good as when I eat out. Do restaurants and caterers secretly dump EVOO on eggplant to make to taste so good?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm looking for an idea of what to uses to stuff cherry red peppers, if anyone has and good suggestion.

Stuff with Boursin cheese then cut into little circles

That would actually look holiday festive and taste good.

[Anonymous]

Caponata dip with carrot sticks. Yogurt marinated chicken kebabs with bell pepper and onion kebabs, served with hummus or similar dip. Olives. Crabcakes (choose a recipe that uses mostly crabmeat and is very easy on the mayo and breadcrumb fillers). Shrimp cocktail.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For eggplant, do you always salt, rest and rice before baking or grilling? I feel I've tried everything and can never get eggplant to taste as good as when I eat out. Do restaurants and caterers secretly dump EVOO on eggplant to make to taste so good?

Yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My entire family is technically medically obese (except for my dad and me). Two brothers and their wives and a sister have lost 50 pounds each on average in the past year. Several of them are fairly panic-stricken that they'll start gaining back the weight. There's no way in hell I want my house or get-together to be a trigger for them grabbing a brownie. Or ten. So, call me boring, fine, but on Friday, I'll have only low fat, low carb food. To those posters with ideas: thanks!

They're going to gain it back. You can't go low carb, or low fat forever. It's impossible to sustain. I know you want to support them, but no one can live in a low carb/low fat microcosm for the rest of their life. Carbs aren't the enemy, and neither is fat - but quality of carbs and fats are where its at. Every person I know who's done those stupid fad diets has lost weight... and gained it back (and then some). It's a terrible cycle, and the yo-yo-ing is often less healthy than just stabilizing in being overweight (look at Tom Hanks, who now has type 2 diabetes from the yo-yo-ing he did for his move roles)

I've lost over 50 lbs, through exercise and moderation, with no restriction. It's slower, but that's sustainable for the long term. It's so much more liveable.

The evidence does not suggest that yo-yoing is more unhealthy than just being overweight, nor is there any evidence that Tom Hanks' type 2 diabetes developed as a result of the yo-yoing he did for his movies.

http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/171/5/550
"After adjustment for overall weight status, weight cycling was no longer associated with higher rates of diabetes."

[Anonymous]

For dessert, berry salad (and it's even festively colorful)! Blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries mixed together in a glass bowl. If desired, to get the juices going, macerate with just a spoonful of sugar or Splenda.

[Anonymous]

Kale chips

[Anonymous]

Eggplant rollatini, or baba ganoush.