Diabetic Dips and Chips for Easy Party Recipes

With holidays, sports events and meetings, yes, you can throw a diabetic delicious get-together full of snacks and appetizers! You shouldn’t have to choose between good food and your health. That’s why my passion has always been to create healthy recipes that never sacrifice flavor! When throwing a get-together, whether casual or formal, most often it revolves around food. And if you, or someone you love has been diagnosed with diabetes, you may feel as though you have to give up your favorite dishes all together. Not so! There’s no need to completely change your menu, just how you prepare it.

Appetizers are an important staple on your party menu. Chips and dip are a popular choice and it’s a guarantee your guests will dive in, so why not load them up with healthy ingredients instead of high fat ingredients and greasy chips. Having diabetes puts you at risk for developing heart disease so it is important to eat foods that are heart healthy, as well.

To lower your intake of unhealthy saturated and trans fats make sure you choose low fat dairy ingredients such as reduced-fat cream cheese and nonfat milk, like in this popular mouth-watering Louisiana Crawfish Dip. Do not be afraid to load up your dish with extra veggies. Love tomatoes?

Add them to your dip, or throw in extra spinach than the recipe calls for in my Eight Layered Greek Dip. Not only are you adding nutrition, but you also spread out your dip, feeding more of your crowd for fewer calories.

And what is a dip without the chips? Try making your own by baking high fiber whole-wheat pitas and cut them into triangles, to boost nutrition and cut down on added fat. Better yet, cut squares out of colorful bell peppers, and cut squash, zucchini and cucumber rounds to use for extra nutritious low-carb “chips.”

Did you know that ½ cup of salsa is equal to 1 serving of vegetables, making my Fiesta Salsa from Eating Well to Fight Arthritis cookbook a super snack! I am an avocado addict so I created this tasty salsa with creamy avocado to amp up the rich flavor. Fresh and convenient ingredients combine to make this effortless homemade Fiesta Salsa perfect for your next party!

And with my easy healthy cookbooks, I Included mainstream diabetic-friendly recipes with a “D” on each recipe that meets the American Diabetic Association guidelines to help better understand the relationship with healthier eating and diabetes—anyone can do it!!

With over 9% of the American population having diabetes, it is important to understand that there is no magical diabetes diet. Portion control, moderate sugar, and low fat are not just guidelines for diabetics to keep in mind, but for everyone’s health, as it really is the healthiest way to eat.

Shhh! Your secret is safe with me as no one will taste the difference with these simple tips and tweaks to your party menu.

Fiesta Salsa from Eating Well to Fight Arthritis cookbook

A quick, simple party-perfect recipe with a blast of colors with delightful fresh flavors.

Makes 20 (1/4-cup) servings

2 avocados, peeled, pitted, and chopped (2 cups)

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

1 cup frozen corn, thawed

1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chilies

1 bunch green onions, chopped

3 tablespoons lime juice

Salt and pepper to taste

1. In large bowl, carefully toss together all ingredients.

Nutrition information per serving: Calories 42, Calories from Fat 46%, Fat 2g, Saturated Fat 0g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 26mg, Carbohydrates 5g, Dietary Fiber 2g, Total Sugars 1g, Protein 1g, Dietary Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 1/2 fat

With over 1 MILLION COOKBOOKS sold, Holly Clegg has become a healthy culinary expert through her nationally recognized best-selling trim&TERRIFIC® and Eating Well cookbook series. Clegg, who attended the Cordon Bleu Cooking School, London, has appeared on Fox & Friends, NBC Weekend Today, QVC, The 700 Club, USA Today, Web MD, and The Huff Post. Clegg has consulted for Walmart, Teflon, The Coca-Cola Company, and hospitals nationwide. Visit Holly on YOUTUBE and her BLOG for more of her new easy healthy recipes.

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Second Photo Credit: DONOT6_STUDIO/shutterstock.com; Third Photo Credit: bigacis/shutterstock.com