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MICHELLE COOPER: Next, we are going to talk about cocktail parties. There is a way to attend and host a cocktail party and not have it be unhealthy. First of all, you want to think about the appetizers or the foods that you are going to have. Mostly people are going to be picking up foods that need to be something that is easy to pick up and easy to eat. What you might want to offer here is some bite-sized fruits and vegetables and a low fat dip such as hummus or salsa, a bean dip, guacamole made with non-fat yogurt or made with low-fat mayonnaise. For your fruits, you can offer a caramel dip to go with the apple, a low-fat or light chocolate for dipping your strawberries in. You are still getting the benefits of eating the fruits and vegetables, so it is okay to add a little bit of sugar or a little bit of fat to make it taste better and make it a little bit more exciting.
 Have small plates out, that way it fools the eye. It makes sure your guests seem that they are getting more than they actually are, so they will be consuming less calories. In addition to having your red wines, your white wines, you may want to have some wine spritzers, which are a little bit light and lower in calories. Make sure that in addition to beer, that you have a light version or a low-calorie version of beer for your clients or your visitors, excuse me, who are watching calories or are on a diet.
 Also make sure that if you are having mixed beverages that you have diet sodas to go along with those or sparkling water. So, and also make it so that the party is not centered around the food, that people are socializing and that food is not the center of attention. So next time you are hosting a cocktail party, number one, pay close attention to what you are offering for appetizers.
 Why not make a tray of healthy fruits and vegetables and some low-fat dips to go along with it. Number two, use small plates to fool the eye, to make your guests think that they are getting more than they actually are; and number three, as far as beverages go, instead of just offering wine and beer, offer the lighter versions like wine spritzers and light beers. Also having low-calorie sodas or sparkling water would be a nice alternative.