Healthy Starters

Healthy appetizers shouldn't be just about munching on some dried out carrot sticks and limp celery. Try these healthy appetizer recipes below!

Creamy Crab Spread

  • 1/2 cup minced celery
  • 1/2 cup minced red pepper
  • 1/2 cup reduced-fat cream cheese
  • 1/3 cup nonfat mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon minced parsley
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
  • Sea salt, to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over to remove any shells

Combine all the ingredients (in the order given) in a bowl. Mix well. Serve with raw veggies.

Serves 16. Serving size 3 tablespoons. Preparation time 20 minutes.

Nutrition Info: Calories 50; Total Fat 2.0 g; Total Carbohydrate 1 g

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

  • 18 large cremini mushrooms
  • 3/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 ounces chicken sausage links, casings removed
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh minced parsley
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  1. Preheat oven to 400° F. Remove stems from mushrooms and finely chop stems. Mix 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs and Parmesan in small bowl.
  2. Lightly coat a large nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray and heat. Cook sausages until they begin to brown, breaking up with side of spoon. Stir in onion, red pepper, mushroom stems, and parsley and cook, about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining bread crumbs and black pepper. Remove from heat. Add 1 teaspoon of water at a time until you have a stuffing that is moist enough to mound.
  3. Mound stuffing in mushroom and arrange, stuffing-side up, in baking dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan mixture. Bake about 9 minutes.

Serves 6. Serving size 3 mushrooms. Preparation time 20 minutes. Cook time 14 minutes.

Nutrition Info: Calories 115; Total Fat 3.0 g; Total Carbohydrate 17 g

This information is a summary from the "The Diabetes Comfort Food Cookbook" and is provided with the permission of the American Diabetes Association.

It not only makes classic comfort foods healthier and diabetes friendly, it makes them a snap to prepare.

Click on the image to go to the American Diabetes Association bookstore.

Note: Care4life has no commercial interest in any of the books or resources it recommends