This is the season for relatives/guests. This is also the season for fresh fruits and healthy things. Sometimes these two seasons *CLASH*.

How do you prevent a clash?

For me, when my mom and aunt were here, they both wanted things with wheat in them. Which of course is a no-no for me. I had to avoid their food (which led to a mold problem in the bread drawer). I just ended up making seperate meals for them ("lets have pasta!").

I have guests currently, who aren't really eating here. She brought some stuff for themselves and the kids, but I'd also bought some fresh fruit(grapes, cherries, raspberries) as well. She also gives her kids organic as much as possible. This was a happy surprise.

Catherine

Since my mother has gotten older, we don't have long term guests staying at the house, but we still have family get togethers. I have found that most of the standby recipes that we have always cooked can be "slimmed down" without anyone noticing. During the summer, we grill, so there is always a way to grill a variety of meat and fish...we have turned our annual fish "fry" into a grill event...and no one has even said anything about missing the deep fried hush puppies.

I always make sure that I make my standby dips with lo or ff ingrediants, never tell them and they still rave on and on about it. I make sure that I have plenty of fruits and veggies to go with the dips for the munchies that we always have around. I don't even put out chips and dips anymore. I have shrimp and lo fat coctail sauce as well. I make lf humus and toasted pita chips and baked tortilla chips (with lo carb, lo fat tortillias just baked in my oven) with my own lf version of chilly cheese rotell tomato dip using lo fat velveta and no one even knew the difference.

There are so many wonderful recipes out there that are now healthy/lo/no fat and taste wonderful, I just cook that way and don't tell them that it is "diet" food and they are none the wiser, because for me it is not diet food, it is the way that I eat. For me, it is always keeping in mind that I am not on a diet, that this is the way I eat, and will be for the rest of my life. Cooking this way is exciting and tasty...and should be for my guests as well. Most of the time they are totally unaware of the fact that I have slimmed down favorite reciepes. Even many of the old family favs...(including fried chicken...I have a recipe that everyone loves and it is baked...in fact everyone was suprised that it was baked).

For deserts i have fresh fruit, and usually make healthy cobbler like things with fruit and a family fave is to make meringue shells with and serve them with what ever fruit is in season. The main portion of the meal is usually not a problem, lots of veggies and healthy cooked meat.

For Christmas morning I usually make 3 or 4 quiches with all the full fat cheese, heavy cream and all the egg yolks. Last year I used lo fat cheeses, 1% milk, and did a 1 whole egg to 2 egg white ratio. Never told anyone I cut out so much of the fat, and they raved about the quiches again this year, saying that they were the best ever!

So I guess that I am wondering if we can't look at all the old standbys and see how we can skinny them down and just serve them. I think that if you tell most people it is "diet" food that they automatically think that it has to taste awful. and in the past, many times it was. But now there are so many ways to think and cook wonderful, full taste food, that is both healthy and tastes wonderful.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Peascod,

I am going to be the guest in about two weeks when I head down to see my sister in FL. Last time I was there, she was not so much eating as drinking shakes, etc. When I talked to her Saturday, she told me she's eating in a way similar to what I'm doing...whole grains, KD's granola, healthy stuff, etc. Yippee! I can hit a grocery store and pick up some basics (for me) that she doesn't have without having to buy a week's worth of groceries and then wondering how I'm gonna know how much to buy. This is very good since I'm gonna be carless...this was a last minute trip.

I never expected her to change her diets for me, but I did always expect her to share a little bit of fridge space for my groceries. Plus, I have an easier time sticking to my eating plans when I don't eat out. (Added benefit: more spending money.)

Laura

This is really a non issue for me as I feel that it won't hurt anyone to eat healthy for a few days. The only exception is if someone has food allergies - then, I will accomodate them. I certainly don't expect anyone to change how they cook when I visit them, and I don't change what I do when I have company.

I am with D, I ask what they would like to eat, explaining that I want to spend as much time with them as I can not time cooking. If they are staying a short time, I can live with just about anything for a weekend...I always have fresh fruit sitting out for snacking and that's a good thing. If they are staying longer, then we have to make arrangements, and I will make two separate meals. If they are family, they know how I've been struggling to get things under control, and hopefully will understand, if they are friends, I explain it to them, if they don't already know. I have more of a problem going to their homes to visit than having them here, because then I am not in control. Any ideas on that one?

My parents will be visiting this week to take care of Alek. My mom will prob. have made at least a few meals for us by the time we get home. She has been on low-carb thing for her diabetes, so I guess I'll just make do.

Nothing she makes is going to kill me to eat a couple of times, especially if I watch my portion sizes. That and it is only one meal a day, I can eat how I want the other two.

Dawn

Before my mom & dad came to visit, I asked if they had any special requests for meals. They both mentioned dishes I'd made in the past, and while I didn't make everything they'd asked for, I did adjust several things and made what they'd requested, only a bit healthier.

When the dishes were served, they were happy to see I'd paid attention and I was able to enjoy the food with them.

Dad wanted my "special" cookies, so I made them with him on their last day here and sent the fresh cookies away, far away. He got the recipe, I got to cook with my dad, and the cookies got a trip out of the Florida heat

I always try to find out what people who have been invited over are expecting and/or wanting. If I know their heart is set on something I can't make (due to time or someone else's allergies or my own weaknesses), I try to call and explain that while I'd love to make it for them, I just can't this time, is there something else I could make. I do, though, write the recipe for whatever I know they want down and make sure to give it to them as they leave.

D