Summer’s almost here! Who doesn’t love sharing a delicious appetizer out in the sunshine with friends and family! But all too often, this means munching down on some chips loaded with salt and saturated fat and sipping a high-calorie beer. Here are five healthy summer appetizer recipes to help you avoid needless weight gain.
The words “healthy appetizer” might raise eyebrows, but when we say healthy, we mean it! So throw that bag of potato chips away and try our crispy zucchini fries. There’s nothing quite like “homemade”!
Ingredients (makes 6 servings):
Prep (10 minutes):
Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C). Wash the zucchini and cut off the ends. Next, slice it into strips. Generously roll the strips in the flour, eggs, breadcrumbs and Parmesan. Spread the strips on a baking tray covered with parchment paper. Drizzle them with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and mixed herbs. Bake them for 10 to 15 minutes. Enjoy!
Brighten up your homemade appetizer with sweet potatoes topped with guacamole.
Ingredients (makes 6 servings):
Prep (10 minutes):
Slice open the avocados. Remove the seed, then blend the pulp with the onion, juice and lime zest. Add the salt, pepper and washed, dried and chopped chervil.
Peel and thinly slice the sweet potatoes. Cook them in the oven or the toaster until soft. Top the sweet potatoes with guacamole and add a few drops of avocado oil.
Like cake pops, only much healthier! Quick, simple and fun to eat. It’s basically Italy on a stick.
Ingredients (makes 20 pops):
Prep (10 minutes):
First, heat up the vinegar over medium heat in saucepan. Once it’s thick, remove it from the heat. Pour the sesame seeds into a glass. Pierce each tomato with a small skewer.
Dip the tomato into the vinegar then right into the sesame seeds until it’s completely covered. Let cool on a plate before serving. Fantastico!
We all know and love pizza, but we can guarantee your guests have never tried zucchini pizza! It’s low in fat and won’t leave you feeling stuffed.
Ingredients (makes 4 servings):
Prep (15 minutes):
Wash the zucchinis and cut them into slices about 1 cm thick. Place them on a baking tray. Drizzle them with basil-infused olive oil and lightly season with salt. Bake them for 20 minutes at 355°F (180°C).
Next, take the zucchinis out of the oven and generously cover them in tomato sauce. Slice the olives and place them on the zucchinis, then sprinkle them with grated cheese and mixed herbs. Bake them for 5 to 10 more minutes until the cheese has melted. Mamma mia, so delicious!
Grilled chickpeas make an amazingly healthy appetizer! They’re high in protein and fit right into a balanced diet.
Ingredients (makes 1 large bowl):
Prep (10 minutes):
Preheat the oven to 150°C. Drain the chickpeas and pour them into a large bowl. Add the olive oil, ground cumin, ground pepper, paprika and salt. Stir well. Spread the chickpeas out on a baking tray covered with parchment paper and bake them for 20 minutes. Let the chickpeas cool before serving.
FizzUp tip: You can store grilled chickpeas for up to two weeks in an airtight container.
With these healthy summer appetizer recipes, you’re sure to delight your friends and family. Have them before your barbecue to get the most out of summer and all the deliciousness that comes with it.
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