Page 12 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • August 14, 2013 Entertaining? Welcome guests with a healthy spread Entertaining is a big responsibility. When hosting at home, catering to guests’ dietary needs rests entirely on hosts’ shoul- ders. This may entail preparing vegetarian meals for your guests who do not eat meat or serving low-sodium fare for those with certain medical conditions. Some hosts like to go the extra mile when cooking for their guests, preparing healthy meals even when guests don’t make such requests. Trim- ming fat is a great way to serve a healthy spread to your guests, and there are many ways you can cut fat from favorite foods without sacrificing taste. Banish the butter. Sandwiches are pop- ular and convenient options when having a less formal affair. Though it is common to butter sandwich bread before piling on the deli meats and other fixings, leaving the butter behind is an easy way to trim fat from favorite sandwiches without greatly affecting taste. Let guests butter their own sandwiches if they like. The same principle can be applied to mayonnaise, which can add lots of fat to a sandwich. Prepare sand- wiches without mayo, and allow guests to add their own spreads if they wish. Cook with skim milk. Many recipes call for a dash or two of milk, and health-con- scious hosts can look out for their guests by cooking with skim or even low-fat milk instead of whole milk. Continue the low- fat or fat-free milk theme after dinner when serving coffee. Instead of offering whole milk or heavy cream when serving coffee after dinner, offer low-fat or skim milk instead. Physically remove fat from some foods. Perhaps the easiest way to cut fat from foods is to trim the fat from beef, pork, or chicken before cooking. When hosting a backyard barbecue, trim fat from steaks, chops, and chicken breasts before putting them on the grill. While some people love the taste of some grizzled fat with their barbecue, such an indulgence is unhealthy. Serve egg whites for breakfast. When hosting overnight guests, start the morning off right by serving egg whites for break- fast. Unlike whole eggs, egg whites contain no fat and no cholesterol but are still fla- vorful. Egg whites have become increas- ingly popular, so chances are your guests already opt for egg whites when making their own breakfasts at home. Another way to trim some fat from the most important meal of the day is to offer low-fat cream cheese when serving bagels, muffins, and toast. Low-fat or fat-free spreads tend to be just as flavorful as their less healthy alter- natives. Serve whole grains. When hosting a dinner party at home, opt for whole grains whenever possible. If serving a pasta dish, choose whole grain pastas instead of tra- ditional white pastas. Whole grain pastas tend to have fewer calories, and their fats are healthier fats. Whole grain pastas tend be less filling as well, so your guests likely won’t feel uncomfortable after eating.