The sun and the heat are back!
And it makes you want to relax over a convivial aperitif with friends or family!
Yes, but aperitifs are often associated with high-fat, high-salt and high-sugar foods, so what can you do if you don't want to sacrifice a balanced diet?
Fortunately, it's possible to offer healthy alternatives that are just as tasty! Be inspired by our ideas for healthy, mostly gluten-free aperitifs, and let your creativity flow by customizing them according to your preferences. Whether it's dips with crunchy vegetables, light kebabs or balanced spreads, you'll be surprised by the variety and richness of the possibilities.
In this article, we present a selection of healthy aperitif ideas that combine flavor and balance!
Panisses: A kind of small patty made from chickpea flour and olive oil, these are excellent simply toasted in the oven and sprinkled with herbes de Provence, and are an excellent alternative to fatty potato chips or other industrial cookies packed with trans-fatty acids and salt.
Chewy fresh vegetables: Prepare colorful vegetable sticks such as carrots, cucumbers, cauliflower, radishes or cherry tomatoes. Serve with hummus (rich in vegetable protein and fiber), guacamole or a light sauce made with vegetable yogurt, fresh herbs and, if desired, lemon and garlic.
Skewers of raw vegetables or fruit (for example: watermelon and mint leaves, melon cubes, cherry tomatoes and peach pieces...).
Mini-brochettes of lean meat, such as chicken or turkey, alternated with colorful vegetables such as peppers and onions. Grill lightly.
Button mushrooms stuffed with fresh raw-milk goat's cheese.
Mini-salads in verrines: Prepare small salads in verrines by layering, for example, fresh vegetables, legumes such as chickpeas or beans, condiments such as pickles or olives, and dressing with light vinaigrettes. Add a touch of fresh cheese or nuts for extra flavor.
Quinoa tabbouleh: Replace the semolina with quinoa to avoid gluten, add cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, fresh herbs (chives, mint...) and olive oil, and you're done!
Spring rolls: Use rice paper to wrap crisp vegetables, rice vermicelli and fresh herbs such as mint and basil. Serve with a peanut sauce or nem sauce.
Healthy spreads: Prepare spreads based on mashed avocado, eggplant caviar, hummus, fresh raw-milk goat's cheese, tapenade, tuna... Serve on thin slices of low-gluten sourdough bread or crunchy spreads with buckwheat, quinoa or chestnuts....
Tomato or watermelon gazpacho.
Chew pickled garlic. Its benefits are many: natural antibacterial, deworming, cholesterol and blood pressure lowering, rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals... And don't worry, you won't feel like you're biting into a garlic clove at all - the taste is very different. Once marinated, garlic is even easier to eat than a pickle!
A blend of "natural" oilseeds (almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews...), an excellent source of Omega 3, and dried fruit.
Chewy olives.
Small oily fish (sardines, mackerel...): served on whole-grain crackers, or in verrines, and garnished with a squeeze of lemon, these small fish are excellent for your health thanks to their high Omega 3 content.
We have just one word to say to conclude this article: cheers!
