Meats

Regular sausages

• Reduced fat and reduced salt sausages
• Vegetarian sausages

 Tip: Cut some large sausages in half to provide smaller portions for different appetites.

Regular commercial burgers and patties

• Lean or extra lean burger patties
• Vegetable burgers

Tip: Making your burger patties can be cheaper and healthier than store bought patties.

Chicken burger

Meat kebabs in cream or oil-based sauces/ marinades

• Lean meat kebabs marinated in lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and fresh herbs.
• Meat and vegetable kebabs

Tip: Kebabs are easy to make.  Alternate between a piece of lean meat or seafood and a variety of vegetables – this will also lower the cost.

Breads and potatoes

White breads and rolls

• Wholemeal or wholegrain varieties of breads, rolls, pita bread or mountain bread.

Tip: Avoid using spreads on bread. If you must, offer olive or canola oil based margarine for people to spread themselves.

Creamy potato salads

• Home-made potato salad using natural yoghurt and/or reduced fat mayonnaise.
• Jacket potatoes: Wrap potatoes in foil and cook on the grill for 45–60 mins.

Creamy potato salad

Side dishes and sauces

Creamy coleslaw

• Home-made coleslaw using natural yoghurt and/or reduced fat mayonnaise.
• Grilled vegetables. Try eggplant, zucchini, pumpkin, capsicum and/or field mushrooms sprinkled with garlic, herbs and pepper.
• Corn cobs
• Tabouli or Greek salad (available pre-made through most delis’)

Crunchy coleslaw

Potato crisps

• Air popped popcorn (plain or flavoured)
• Oven baked pita bread served with a healthy dip

Cream, cheese or ‘chunky’ nut-based dips

(e.g. French onion, smoked salmon, pesto dips)

• Reduced fat yoghurt and/or vegetable-based dips (e.g. reduced fat Tzatziki, hummus, or beetroot dip)

Tip: Serve dips with vegetable sticks and/or plain wholegrain crackers or pita bread as they are lower in fat and salt compared to most crackers.

Tomato sauce

• Reduced salt tomato sauce

Tip: Serve sausages/burgers without sauce. Have a bottle on hand for people wanting to add it themselves.

Desserts

Cheesecake/pavlova

• Cold, sliced fruit (e.g. watermelon, cantaloupe, grapes, strawberries)
• Fruit-based desserts and offer small serving sizes
• Try using reduced fat custard or yoghurt in place of regular cream, custard or ice-cream
• If offering cream or ice-cream, provide reduced fat varieties

Spiced apple and yoghurt slice

Ice-creams and icy poles

If offering ice-cream, icy poles, frozen yoghurt or gelato, provide reduced-fat or juice-based varieties and offer in small serving sizes.

Drinks

Regular soft drinks

• Water: tap, still or sparkling
• Lightly flavoured waters.  Try jugs of soda water with sliced fruit and mint, or a dash of fruit juice
• Diet soft drinks