You might want to create a healthy charcuterie board for a family dinner or entertaining. When you make your own at home you can control the ingredients and foods it includes. A charcuterie board has vegetables, fruits, cheese, lean meats, fish, and poultry, breads, and spreads.
It can be served on a platter, cutting board, or plates. You will need spoons, forks, spatulas, knifes for cutting meats, cheese, and breads. You can make the charcuterie board Mediterranean using the European countries of France, Italy, Spain and Greece. These countries have a wide variety of healthy vegetables, cheeses, meat, fish, poultry, whole grain breads, nuts, seeds, and fruit.
You will find this is great way to entertain or liven up your family meal. Many items can be prepared quickly, and you can prepare your own recipes if you have the time. This can be served any time of year.
What to Serve on A Healthy Mediterranean Charcuterie Board
Some suggestions on what to serve on a healthy charcuterie board.
cut vegetables and dip
whole grain bread
cheese
nuts
roast beef
turkey breast
chicken breast
ham
shrimp
salmon
tuna
hummus
fresh fruits
salads
olives
crackers
yogurt and fruit
tomatoes
cucumbers
olives
pickled vegetables
dips
hummus
blue cheese
feta cheese
goat cheese
Provolone
Cheddar
Manchego
Gorgonzola
Tips For Making Your Charcuterie Board Healthier
Photo Source: Pxhere
Serve whole wheat or whole grain bread, rye, pumpernickel, gluten free, or oat. These breads have more fiber and nutrition that traditional white bread.
Use lean meats like roast beef, steak, turkey breast, chicken, and ham. Use less of high fat and high salt processed meats.
Serve cheese that has nutrients and is lower in sodium and fat. Best cheeses to serve according to dietitians are mozzarella, blue cheese, feta, ricotta, Swiss, cheddar, and goat cheese. Serve high fat cheeses in moderation.
Choose tasty or crisp vegetables tomatoes, cucumbers carrots, onions, peppers, radishes, greens, celery, avocados. Make a Greek salad, antipasto, Cobb Salad, Chef Salad, or Cole slaw.
Serve fresh or dried fruits with dips or plain with a dash of lemon or lime. Serve grapes, apples, peaches, figs, berries, pineapple, citrus fruit, kiwi. and other fruits that do not get brown. Use lemon juice to keep fruit from browning. Fruit salad is a good choice for a side dish.
Whole grain pasta salads or rice can make a tasty side dish and even soup kept warm in a crock pot can be served on the side.
Beverages to serve with the food are flavored seltzer water, low sugar fruit juice, lemonade, iced tea, cold coffee drinks, wine and beer for adults.
Photo Source: Pexels
Sites with good recipes for charcuterie boards are The Mediterranean Dish, Kitchen Community Mediterranean Recipes, and Eating Well, and Heathy Mediterranean Recipes.
References:
How To Make A Healthy Charcuterie Board by Alex Loh, Reviewed by Jessica Ball M.S. RD, Eating Well
Too Much Takeout or Cooking Learn How To Make A Charcuterie Dinner Board, Cleveland Clinic, Health Essentials. May 2020
Photo Source: Unsplash Shayna Davis