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Health See other Health Articles Title: 21 Best and Worst appetizers WebMD: WORST: Onion Blossom It may be your waistline that blossoms if you're a fan of fried onions. "It's good to start off with a vegetable," says Joan Salge Blake, RD, a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. "But once you fry it, you're frying in calories." The onion blossom at one popular restaurant has 1,949 calories, 161 g of fat, and 4,100 mg of sodium -- more than double the daily sodium limit for healthy adults. BEST: Vegetable Kabobs Grilled vegetable kabobs offer a nutritious, low-calorie alternative to fried onions. If this isn't on the menu, ask for a side of grilled vegetables as your appetizer. Veggie kabobs are also easy to make -- try skewering onions, red and green bell peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, and zucchini. Brush with a lower-fat garlic and herb marinade. Two large kabobs will have about 75 calories. WORST: Spinach Artichoke Dip Don't let the word "spinach" fool you. Traditional spinach artichoke dip is not a healthy starter. A typical order contains about 1,600 calories, 100 g of fat, and 2,500 mg of sodium. The trouble is the cream base, which is loaded with saturated fat. If you make this dip at home, try using a base of nonfat Greek yogurt instead. BEST: Spinach Salad The best appetizers are low in calories, but satisfying enough to curb how much you eat during the rest of your meal. Salads made with spinach or other leafy greens do this very well. Studies suggest you'll eat about 10% less during a meal if you start off with salad. A cup of fresh spinach with a tablespoon of vinaigrette has about 80 calorie BEST: Crab Cakes Blake recommends using appetizers to work in healthy foods you might be eating too little of. Seared crab cakes offer an appealing way to get more seafood into your diet. Served with chili sauce, a typical crab cake has about 300 calories, 20 g of fat, and 960 mg sodium. WORST: Cheeseburger Sliders Don't be fooled by their size -- "sliders" pack a lot of calories into a tiny sandwich. A typical restaurant order includes three mini-burgers with cheese and sauce, totaling 1,270 calories, 82 g of fat, and 2,310 mg of sodium. BEST: Beef Skewers When you're craving a meaty appetizer, opt for beef skewers. In Asian restaurants, this may be listed as beef satay -- skewers of beef with peanut sauce. At home, you can grill skewers of lean beef with onions, garlic, hoisin, soy, and barbecue sauce. A quarter-pound serving has about 130 calories, 5 g of fat, and 803 mg sodium. WORST: Loaded Potato Skins Potato skins filled with melted cheese, meats, and sour cream are as fattening as they are tempting. "You're taking a potato and adding saturated fats," Blake cautions. At more than 150 calories a pop, the trick to enjoying these is to have just one. Devour a whole plateful and you'll take in about 1,340 calories, 94 g of fat, and 1,850 mg of sodium. Poster Comment: Balance at Link. Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread
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