Well…this is a BIG week over in the Healthy Twists household. Last week of bootcamp! It’s been quite the 12 weeks, friends. I’ll go over my general reflections about my experience later this week, as well as the results of my final weigh-in, but I wanted to thank all of you who have stuck by me while I whined and complained and didn’t make much in the way of fun eats (spicy oats notwithstanding). Having you with me for support has been an immense help.
I thought tonight, especially as we head closer (YAY) to the holiday season with potlucks, dinner parties, and many food-related festivities, we could talk about a few tips for staying healthy at dinner parties or holiday gatherings.
Last night, I was invited for a girl’s night dinner at my friend Jenny’s house. Jenny told me beforehand that she was planning a pasta bar for the main course, and asked if I wanted to contribute a salad, because she knows about my program. So I bought some lovely organic baby romaine and put together this beauty:
Also in the mix (some of it you can’t see in the photo): red bell peppers, tomato, avocado, roasted carrots and roasted yellow peppers (I roasted a ton of veggies Saturday night so threw the leftovers in there).
Since I’m a picky eater, I don’t like it when salads come pre-mixed with dressing at potlucks or dinner parties. Which they do, 99% of the time. And since I don’t like cheese but I know most people do, I picked up some feta but left that off the salad as well. I packed the cheese and a choice of dressings to go with the salad:
Tip 1: I recommend this DIY approach if you’re making a salad for a group. You never know (usually) what people like/dislike, and you want everyone to enjoy your salad, right?
Also, since not only am I watching the carbs but I’m not a big fan of white pasta in general, I told Jenny I would bake a spaghetti squash to share. I bought a really big squash and prayed that I wouldn’t be the only one eating it:
Tip 2: Instead of fighting with the squash and my less-than-superb knives, I bake spaghetti squash whole at 375 for 45 minutes to an hour. Then I let it cool 10-15 minutes, carefully cut it open, remove the seeds, and get out the “spaghetti” with a fork. I love this stuff. (Ok this isn’t a dinner party tip, but…it is if you bring it to a party!)
And the other guests liked it too! Some had never had spaghetti squash before. Jenny made some amazing homemade sauces and I think everyone appreciated having an lighter option in addition to the pasta.
Tip 3: Don’t be nervous to ask what’s on the menu if you’re going to someone’s house for dinner, and don’t feel bad about offering to bring a healthy option. Most of the time, people will appreciate knowing your dietary needs and if they don’t then they probably aren’t people you want to have dinner with anyway!
Tip 4: Unless you want to, don’t feel like you have to drink. I stuck to water while most of the other girls had red wine last night. Of course there is nothing wrong with a glass of wine (or beer or whatever) with dinner, but health-wise I feel sometimes it’s easier to do without—or to save the calories for dessert (again, if you’re me). I’ve never had anyone give me a hard time for not drinking. Well, not since college.
Right when my bootcamp is ending, I am finding a lot of parties/happy hours/celebrations on the horizon, so even though we all probably know these tips, I think reminders always help.
Do you have a strategy for staying healthy when going to a dinner party or similar gathering? Have you ever been made to feel “weird” for not wanting the unhealthy (or non-vegetarian or whatever) food that’s being served?
Apparently I’m not a “real Chargers fan” because I’m blogging instead of watching the game. Guess I should take that as a hint…if I want my relationship with Mitch to work out, I NEED to be a real fan…but it’s not a pretty sight at the moment so I think I might stay here at the kitchen table, where it’s safe!
Goodnight! (or good morning if you’re reading this tomorrow)
Does anyone else use Foodista? Here’s a link to more Spag Squash stuff (I think…?)
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Bringing the spaghetti squash was such a good idea!! I usually forgo alcohol for dessert as well. My friends WILL harass me for not drinking sometimes, so I just always make sure I’m the sober driver so I have an excuse
Oh, and if someone else is serving dessert, I try to go for bite-sized desserts instead. Portion control is easier with a cookie instead of getting served a giant slice of cake swimming in ice cream 
Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on your boot camp experience!
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I love your twists! And I love that you are just about done with that godawful program.
I always get made fun of for my eating ways. Mostly by my family, not friends. Maybe b/c I haven’t always eaten like this and they are having a harder time adjusting? My Not-dad calls me a Washingtonian Hippie.
But my mom is super adorable and accomodating. When we came to visit, she went out and bought soymilk and agave for my coffee and planned out a menu and ran in by me ahead of time! Much love! <3 <3
I always offer to bring some sort of healthy dish to dinner party sort of things. I brought my feta-tomato-basil salad to a recent dinner part and a couscous-roasted veggies salad to a work potluck! Everyone loves it!
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I do feel weird sometimes at dinner parties. People will say things like, “Lee is always so healthy.” and it just makes me uncomfortable for some reason.
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hahaha Yea I wasn’t too into the game last night–just heard the occasion screaming and yelling! lol
I think that was a great idea to make the Spaghetti Squash–I’m sure everyone loved that healthy option!
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I think it’s a great idea to have a choice of salad dressings on the side! That way everyone can go with their fave choice and can put as much or as little on their salad as they want. Plus, I think the salad would stay crisper longer – the dressing might make it too soggy if the salad was pre-mixed with it!
Neat idea to bring spaghetti squash! It’s always fun to try new foods!
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[...] today, I want to talk about squash. I mentioned my method for cooking spaghetti squash before, but that was a long time ago, and now I have photos [...]