How to build the perfect grazing board

How to build the perfect grazing board

The holiday season is a fantastic opportunity to spend time catching up with friends and family members, however, with lots of extra social occasions it can be a challenge to maintain your health habits.

A grazing board is often part of many festive gatherings. Often used to provide something to graze on whilst waiting for the main meal to be served. This can lead to a large amount of your calories being consumed (often mindlessly) before you even begin your meal.

Try upgrading your grazing board this Christmas using my simple steps below. This will allow you to munch on plenty of nutrient dense foods, filling you up with extra fibre and fluid, making it an easy way to meet your daily target for vegetables without overdoing it on the calories.  

What you will need: Select 2-3 from each category:

Vegetables:

• Chopped carrot sticks

• Chopped celery sticks

• Cherry tomatoes (technically a fruit but more like a vegetables)

• Chopped cucumber sticks

• Top and tailed green beans

• Top and tailed snow peas

• Chopped capsicum

• Pickled vegetables

Fruits:

• Strawberries

• Blueberries

• Raspberries

• Kiwi fruit

• Cherries

• Figs

• Grapes

• Oranges

Nuts and Legumes:

• Almonds

• Cashews

• Walnuts

• Brazil nuts

• Roasted chickpeas or fava beans (for a quick options check out ‘The Happy Snack Company’)

Crackers:

• Homemade pita chips (See recipe)

• Homemade seeded crackers (See recipe)

• Store bought grainy crackers

Cheeses:

• Whatever you desire! It’s not the cheese that matters, it’s how much of it you eat.

  • Having lots of other goodies on your plate will ensure you do not need to fill up on cheese and can feel satisfied with a small amount of your favourite cheese.

A few more tips:

1. Place bigger items down first e.g. cheeses, bowls of dips.

2. We really do eat with our eyes, so the more colourful your platter the better. Remember different colours equal different nutrients but also gives your platter a vibrant lift!

3. Group like-items together for ease of use e.g. veggie sticks and dips, crackers and cheeses.

4. Fill in any gaps with smaller items, such as nuts, seeds and dried legumes/chickpeas.

5. Platters don't need to be expensive, but if you're not mindful, the cost can quickly add up. Remember to check your pantry first to see if there is anything you can get rid of eg nuts, shop for seasonal fruits and vegetables, make your own dips and look for what cheeses are on special!

Want more? Select from our library of articles and recipes written by our dietitians: