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Colorful Memorial Day Munchies

400 - Diabetic Gourmet Magazine

When people gather for the summer's first barbecue party on Memorial Day, too often potato chips and dip are a typical starter to the meal. But this old stand-by is high in sodium and fat, especially dangerous trans fats, even if baked chips and low-fat dips are served. And this addictive combo packs in more calories than we realize.

I prefer to stuff an assortment of raw vegetables with a flavorful but healthful dip. This need not involve labor-intense tasks like stuffing cherry tomatoes or tiny potatoes.

Defining "stuffed veggies" more liberally allows you to use wedges of red, yellow and orange bell pepper cut into roughly triangular shapes. I "stuff" these peppers with a topping of spinach blended with yogurt and feta, which stays put and provides more low-calorie nutrition than most fat-free dips.

Stuffed celery offers another healthful opportunity and is a snap to assemble. Peanut butter filling sprinkled with a topping of finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes is surprisingly good. Or try canned salmon mixed with a dab of mayo and a touch of lemon juice. It is amazing how good this is with celery, and how pretty it looks garnished with a dash of paprika.

The more adventurous will love stuffed jalapenos. For this, cut 1/2-inch slices crosswise from the lower end of larger peppers, making cups that taper slightly. They won't even need seeding. Fill with the same salmon mixture and paprika as stuffed celery. Do not be surprised if these trigger a contest to see who can handle the most heat. Considering the good stuff in these "poppers," whoever wins this contest could do worse.

More from our magazine:  Braised Cod With Leeks
[1]

Stuffed Red Pepper and Celery Sticks

Makes 20 servings as an appetizer.

Ingredients

Directions

Nutritional Information Per Serving:
23 calories,
1 g. total fat (less than 1 g. saturated fat),
1 g. carbohydrate,
less than 1 g. protein,
less than 1 g. dietary fiber,
81 mg. sodium.

Diabetic Exchanges: 1/4 Fat


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