With Christmas parties and summer celebrations here now, why not swap stodgy food for a range of tasty, healthy-body friendly canapés that will help you sail through the silly season without sacrificing your weight management goals.
When it comes to party planning, crafting a healthy menu is often an overwhelming task and it’s easy to opt for unhealthy, carbohydrate-laden treats that may be quick to prepare, but take much longer to work off your waistline.
This summer, the expert chefs at Atkins have come to the rescue with their range of terrific tasting cocktail foods that will banish bloated bellies and impress your guests – without taking hours to put together.
Colette Heimowitz, nutritionist for Atkins Nutritionals says these healthy party options mean your menu will look less like a spread at a children’s birthday party (think party pies, sausage rolls, and chips), will be better for you, and will taste better too. “While quick and easy can seem like a good idea at the time, the weight gain from over-indulging can certainly build up, especially as the party season moves into full swing,” says Colette.
“Atkins has developed a huge range of low-carb recipes that are full of flavour but don’t require too much time in the kitchen,” she says.
Below is a small selection of some of Atkins’ delicious and healthy canapé ideas that you can try over the festive season:
Atkins Grilled Vegetable and Haloumi Skewers
(serves 8)
Ingredients
2 zucchinis cut into 3 cm rounds
1 large punnet of cherry tomatoes
1 red capsicum cut into 3cm squares
200 g haloumi cut into 3cm squares
Salt and pepper
Canola/olive oil spray
8 x 8 inch bamboo skewers soaked in water to prevent burning
Method
- Pre-heat barbecue or frying pan on stove top to a medium to hot heat.
- Drain skewers and alternatively place vegetables and cheese on the skewers.
- Lightly spray the vegetable sticks with canola/olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper.
- Grill for 4 minutes on each side or until vegetables soften. Place on serving tray.
Atkins Thai Chicken Meatballs with Coriander Pesto
(Makes 12 patties)
Meatball Ingredients
250 g chicken mince
2 tsp grated ginger
2 tsp coriander, washed and chopped
2 tsp basil shredded
2 tsp mint, shredded
1 tbsp fish sauce
½ tbsp kecapmanis (sweet soy sauce)
1 lime grated
½ red chilli, chopped
1 stem of spring onion, sliced
¼ stick lemongrass, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
100 g sweet potato, grated
Pesto Ingredients
¼ cup fresh coriander leaves
1 clove garlic
10 g toasted cashew nuts
8 g grated parmesan
30 ml olive oil or vegetable oil
Method
- Place all meatball ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine. Roll into 30 gram balls and place onto a tray lined with baking paper. Place in fridge for 1 hour to firm.
- To make pesto: place all pesto ingredients in food processor and blend until pesto is combined.
- To cook patties: in a medium-hot frypan place 1tbs of oil and sear patties until golden brown and cooked through. Once patties are cooked, place on serving tray and allow to cool slightly. Spoon pesto on top and enjoy!
Atkins Chorizo & Prawn Bites
(serves 8)
Ingredients
650 g king prawns
2 chorizo, sliced & peeled
2 limes to garnish
4 tbsp chopped coriander
4 tbsp olive oil
Method
- Thread one king prawn and one slice chorizo onto a toothpick, brush with oil and lay on a greased baking tray (or onto BBQ).
- Cook for a minute or two until prawn cooked through, scatter the whole tray with chopped coriander prior to serving.
ABOUT ATKINS:
Scientifically formulated for safe and effective weight loss, weight management and healthy lifelong eating, Atkins is an easy to follow, flexible four-phased program (start at the phase that best suits you) that helps you build a diet around whole foods rich in vitamins and ‘good carbohydrates’ including low sugar fruits, leafy green vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, dairy, good fats, and protein (fish, poultry, meat and tofu) – while at the same time helping you eliminate highly processed carbs such as white flour and sugar.
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