Appetizers are part of the meal, and many people can't skip them. Like all foods, there are healthy appetizers and unhealthy ones. Since we care about your health, we present the bad and unhealthy appetizers so you can avoid them, and we introduce you to tasty healthy appetizers.
First: Unhealthy appetizers
There are many unhealthy appetizers like:
First appetizer: Fried onions
A handful of fried onions contains about 1000 calories, helps form belly fat, and causes bloating. This makes it one of the worst appetizers you can eat alongside your meals, yet it's served in many popular restaurants.
Second appetizer: Spinach and artichoke
Don't be fooled by the word spinach, this appetizer isn't healthy. It's high in sodium, and the dip with cream makes it worse because it has lots of saturated unhealthy fats.
Third appetizer: Cheese fries
Cheese fries are fried potatoes covered with melted cheese. Some restaurants add ranch sauce. This appetizer has a lot of sodium due to the oils in the fries and the fats in the cheese.
Fourth appetizer: Cheeseburger
Many restaurants serve small cheeseburgers with cheese and sauce. It might seem tasty and somewhat healthy because it has some protein, but it also contains a lot of sodium and saturated fats.
Fifth appetizer: Stuffed potatoes
This dish is popular in many restaurants where they hollow out the potatoes leaving only the skin and some inside. Then they stuff it with cheese, meat, and cream. It's full of calories and most people don't just eat one but start with one and eat more while waiting for their main meal.
Sixth appetizer: Fried calamari
Seafood is one of the best and healthiest appetizers but when fried, it loses its health benefits and becomes like any unhealthy meal full of bad fats.
Seventh appetizer: Fried chicken wings
They’ve become one of the most popular appetizers and side dishes but also one of the worst foods recently because they contain a lot of sodium in one plate.
Eighth appetizer: Mozzarella sticks
Mozzarella sticks are one of the worst foods found in markets, whether as appetizers or side dishes, because they have harmful carbs and saturated fats in the same plate. So they raise bad cholesterol in the blood.
Second: Healthy appetizers
Just like we showed you unhealthy appetizers, here are the healthy alternatives you can find in most restaurants.
First appetizer: Veggie kebab
Grilled veggies are a good alternative to fried onions. They open your appetite and give your body more vitamins and essential minerals you need daily. The grilled veggie skewer has potatoes, tomatoes, red and yellow peppers, mushrooms, and zucchini. It's sprinkled with some spices, a bit of pepper, and salt.
Second appetizer: Spinach salad
Spinach salad is one of the best and tastiest salads you'll ever try. Plus, it’s full of vitamins and minerals. It's made of leafy greens like lettuce, arugula, onion, and a bit of apple. Apple cider vinegar and some spices are added on top.
Third appetizer: Beef skewers
Beef skewers are a healthy and very tasty appetizer because they’re rich in protein and have some minerals and vitamins from the veggies added like tomatoes and peppers.
Fourth appetizer: Stuffed mushrooms
We swap stuffed potatoes for stuffed mushrooms to cut down on calories in the appetizer. We add a little cheese too.
Fifth appetizer: Shrimp cocktail
This appetizer has lots of healthy fats, especially omega 3 found in shrimp, and plenty of fiber that helps digestion like in the tomato sauce.
Appetizer six: vegetable soup
If you want to eat less during your meal, go for vegetable soup because it helps reduce appetite. It’s also a low-calorie appetizer.
Appetizer seven: lettuce wraps
If you want spicy chicken, try chicken cubes with lettuce wraps. Many restaurants don’t offer this, but you can make it at home. It’s tasty, easy to prepare, and low in saturated fat and sodium.
Appetizer eight: pepper slices
Pepper slices with healthy sauces like spicy tomato sauce and flour sauce. This appetizer helps add lots of veggies and fiber to your daily diet.
If appetizers are a main part of your meals, make them healthy and useful. You can learn a lot about healthy eating by following our paid sessions with Fitness Garage coaches.
