With so many holiday parties to go to, one of the best parts of the holidays is the food! I love experiencing my friend’s favorite holiday foods at their parties.

However, we don’t want to end up overeating – and with all the delicious foods around, that’s not hard to do!!

Our Holiday Tip # 4 will help keep you from overindulging while still enjoying all the amazing flavors of the holiday season!

TIP #4 – NIBBLE

My mom and I always said there should be sample plates of desserts at restaurants. We want to try it all but just want a bite of each.

That’s the tip here – especially is you are at a party or buffet – make a sample plate with just a bite! You know as well as I do that when there are a lot of food choices, our plates can pile up quickly.

Instead of taking a big serving of everything, just take a spoonful of each dish so you can taste it all. If you are still hungry, you can always go back and get another small spoonful of those dishes that you liked best.

Now this doesn’t mean you have to nibble like a little mouse, we just want to avoid overeating.

No one likes that feeling of overeating – ugh! You may experience heartburn, bloating, nausea, or tiredness – and not to mention having to loosen your belt – none of which are fun at a party.

Something like a charcuterie board is perfect for small portions! You can mix and match as you please, taking samples of all your favorites.

Ingredients:

• 1 soft cheese (brie, mozzarella, goat cheese)
• 1 semi-soft cheese (smoked gouda, gorgonzola, blue cheese)
• 1 semi-hard cheese (provelone, manchego)
• 1 hard cheese (aged cheddar, asiago, parmesean)
• 2 cured meats (low-sodium salami, prosciutto, pancetta)
• assorted crackers or small bread slices (whole wheat or multigrain)
• nuts (almonds, pistachios, glazed nut & seed medley)
• fruit (pear slices, figs, dried apricots, dried cranberries, pomegranate seeds)
• spreads (hummus, whole grain mustard, cranberry sauce, honey)
• extras (olives, gherkins, pickled vegetables)

Directions:

1. Pick your platter! Make sure it is the right size for the number of guests you’re serving. While wooden cheese boards are the classic choice, you can use anything from a metal baking sheet to a slate tile, as long as it is food safe.
2. Place your spreads and extras! Put them in ramekins with small spoons or cocktail forks, as needed. Place them around the board.
3. Arrange your cheeses! Softer cheeses can remain uncut, while harder cheeses are more easily served in slices or small chunks. Arrange all over the board.
4. Add your vehicles! These are the crackers and bread – the things to carry the rest of the goodies to your mouth. Remember it doesn’t have to be perfect or organized.
5. Unwrap and assemble the cured meats! Roll or fan-fold the meats to add a little pizzaz, then set them in various spots on the board.
6. Fill in with fruits and nuts! There is no real order to this, just fill in any empty spaces and make the board look super full.

What are your favorite charcuterie items to nibble on? Let us know in the comments!