Vegetable and Cheese Board

When you think about entertaining, how do you feel? Are you excited, nervous, anxious, tired? Entertaining can be all of those things, but it doesn't have to be. Entertaining can be fun, easy, and enjoyable. To help make hosting easier, I'm sharing an easy appetizer. It's a vegetable tray with some cheese. It's friendly and not fussy.

 

I love having an appetizer ready for guests. It gives them something to munch on if they're hungry before dinner is ready. It also gives me a buffer if dinner is running late. It means that my guests aren't starving and smelling dinner.

This appetizer is super simple. It's 4 steps: wash, dry, chop, arrange. I like to include seasonal fruits and vegetables. For one, they are local, which means fresher because they weren't shipped far. Secondly, they tend to taste best in season. Fruit is sweeter, and veggies are crisp.

Adding fruits and vegetables to your cheese boards has several benefits. First, fruits and vegetables are nutrient-dense. In other words, they have a ton of vitamins and minerals. So, they're super tasty and great for your health! Secondly, fruits and vegetables tend to be more economical (read less expensive) than cheese. So, you can make a huge fruit, veggie, and cheese board for a fraction of the cost of a cheese board. Third, I love the colors and textures that fruits and veggies add to a cheese board. Visually, there's more interest and I find it more aesthetically pleasing. So in summary, fruit and veggie cheese boards are good for you, good for your budge, and visually pleasing.

If you've ever felt nervous about hosting, here are a few tips.

5 Tips for Low-Stress Hosting 

1) You're hosting not entertaining.
These two terms, host versus entertain, make a world of difference. To me, an entertainer sets a stage and has a flawless performance. A host offers a place to come and gather. An entertainer has the focus on the performance. In contrast, a host gets to welcome and offer a safe space for people to gather, be themselves, and enjoy community.

2) Consider your guest's preferences.
Sometimes the barrier to having guests is the fear of not knowing what to make. So ask! I like to give 2-3 options that way guests have input on the meal.

Also, I think it's important to ask about food allergies. You can also ask if people have any foods they hate.

3) Prep ahead.
I am a planner, type A kind of person. I feel stressed when things are left to the last minute. I don't like to procrastinate. To help me keep my sanity, I like to prep ahead as much as possible. This looks like, menu planning. I try to clean a day or two before the party. I try to have some parts of the meal or appetizer ready to go.

4) Make easy meals.
I encourage you to make easy meals. Make familiar meals; make something you've cooked before. I wouldn't try a new recipe or challenging dish when I host. It just increases anxiety. What if the dish doesn't turn out right? What if it tastes bad? Instead of worrying, cook a go-to, tried and true, tasty meal.

5) Ask for help.
You don't need to be a one woman show. Ask guests to bring something. Or if you're the guest, ask if you can bring something.

What dinners work well? Try a pot luck. Host a taco night - make the entrée. Have a guest bring an appetizer - chips and dip. Encourage someone else to bring a side or dessert. In the Fall and Winter, I love a baked potato bar with fixings. Or, try soups and sandwiches. Also, there's no judgment here for ordering pizza. Who doesn't like pizza?

Try a cooking club. Have people over to cook and then eat together. That sounds so fun! Don't feel like you have to do everything.

Have you ever thought about hosting versus entertaining?
What keeps you from hosting more? 
What motivates you to host?
What are your go-to recipes to make for company?
I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

For more tips, encouragement, and recipes for a healthy lifestyle, you can follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. 

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#HealthyRDChallenge Roundup

How did you do with the #HealthyRD Challenge? I hope you are did well and are maybe even thinking of continuing the challenge. Simply make at least 1 healthy choice per day. 

What is the Healthy RD Challenge?
This is my challenge for each of us to take one step a day on the road to being healthier . . . the healthy road or #HealthyRD if you will. If you participate in the #HealthyRD challenge, make sure you use the hashtag #HealthyRD. Tag me on Instagram and or tweet me, @RDtipoftheday, for a chance to be featured! I am sharing the five healthy choices I'm making each day this week.  

Here's a reminder of what I did for the Healthy RD Challenge of the last 2 weeks: 

Day 1 

Day 2 

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6 

Day 7

Day 8 

Day 9 

Day 10

Check out the links to get ideas on living a healthier lifestyle. And for even more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter .

If you enjoyed this post, you might enjoy:

4 Tips for Setting and Achieving Goals

 

Favorite Recipes

National Nutrition Month Roundup

Healthy RD Challenge: Day 3

How are you doing with the #HealthyRD Challenge? I hope you are doing well! Here's a reminder of what I've done for the Healthy RD Challenge: Day 1 and Day 2.

What is the Healthy RD Challenge?
This is my challenge for each of us to take one step a day on the road to being healthier . . . the healthy road or #HealthyRD if you will. If you participate in the #HealthyRD challenge, make sure you use the hashtag #HealthyRD and tag or tweet me, @RDtipoftheday, for a chance to be featured! I am sharing the five healthy choices I'm making each day this week. 

Healthy RD Challenge: Day 3
Today, I am going to meet the #5aDayChallenge, which is my #HealthyRD Day 3 healthy choice. I issued a #5aDayChallenge last summer as a way to encourage myself and others to eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day.

I have the privilege of counseling children of all ages. The number one healthy dietary obstacle they face is eating enough fruits and veggies. Most children state that the taste of fruits and vegetables is the number 1 obstacle to meeting the #5aDayChallenge.

I also have the privilege of teaching several collegiate nutrition courses. My college students also have challenges to eating five servings of fruits and vegetables per day. My college students say lack of time (aka busyness) or lack of availability of fruits and vegetables are the two common obstacles to meeting the #5aDayChallenge.

I am a Registered Dietitian (RD). I encourage people to meet the #5aDayChallenge. I am a recovering picky eater. I, like everyone else, am busy. We all have budgets, time constraints, and obstacles that make it challenging to live a healthy lifestyle. However, we also know the importance of eating healthfully. So, I am taking the #5aDayChallenge to become a #HealthyRD (healthier registered dietitian). Who's with me?

How will you choose to be healthy today?

Check with your personal RD or MD before starting a new diet or exercise program to make sure it is healthy, safe, and the right choice for you.

For more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter . You can subscribe to this blog, RDtipoftheday.blogspot.com, through BlogLovin.

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Healthy RD Challenge Day 1

Healthy RD Challenge Day 2

4 Tips for Setting and Achieving Goals

Super Bowl 2015 and Auto Correct Fails

Can you believe that game? What a tight race!!! My condolences to the Seahawk's fans and congratulations to the Patriots and their fans.

My favorite part of the big game is not actually the game. I enjoy the people, commercials, half-time show, and of course the food! We had a yummy game day spread this year. The kitchen was full of goodies to munch on during the game. There were dips: guacamole and queso with brisket (I can't even describe the deliciousness; it was so good.). There were mini entrees: pigs in the blanket and sausage rolls. And, there were plenty of desserts: chocolate covered popcorn, petite fours, and gummy worms!

Football food always has a bend toward rich, yummy treats. As a dietitian, I tried to balance rich foods with something a little lighter. So, I brought a delicious, nutrient-dense dip and veggies for dipping. It's all about balance. So, I brought hummus and sliced veggies and crackers for dipping.

Funny story: my phone auto corrected hummus to gummies. So my message to the group said i was bringing "gummies and veggies for dipping!" No one e-mailed back, but thankfully my husband told me about this auto correct fail. So, I brought hummus, veggies, . . .  and gummy worms! We were hanging out with some new friends, so it was kind of a hilarious mistake and conversation started. It turns out that everyone figured it was something delicious and possibly healthy, since I'm a dietitian. hahaha. I am proud to say that the hummus was gone and so were 90% of the veggies. The gummy worms were also a hit!

So in summary, auto correct fails happen. No one is perfect. Lots of people like vegetables with dip. And vintage candy is always a hit!

Hope you enjoyed the game! If you need a quick appetizer for a game day or any other event, try this hummus and veggie tray. 

• Pick 3-5 colors of food for the tray. 
• I choose yellow squash, an English cucumber, an orange bell pepper, a red bell pepper, and baked pretzel crackers. 
• Wash and slice all your vegetables. 
• My new mandolin came in handy for this task (thanks Mom!). 
• Arrange vegetables in large blocks of colors around your dip. 

And you have and easy, tasty appetizer in minutes that just happens to be healthy! Enjoy!

For more information, recipes, and tips and tricks for healthy eating, follow RDtipoftheday on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.