A Handy Guide To Healthy Holiday Party Platters

What this article covers

Published as 'A Handy Guide To Healthy Holiday Party Platters', written by Kate Save and dated 17 December 2020, this article is a practical sorting guide for grazing platters at social occasions. Its central claims are that typical platter components - processed meats, cheeses, dips, crackers and marinated foods - are high in sodium and saturated fat, and that high intakes of these are associated with weight gain, high blood pressure and increased blood cholesterol and triglycerides; that snacking patterns can reflect mindless eating and overeating and so impede weight loss; and that a platter can supply the calories of a whole meal rather than a snack, and should be treated as such. The bulk of the article is a three-tier classification of platter foods into avoid, limit, and enjoy freely, followed by substitution tips. Note for readers: the URL slug refers to 'iso party platters' but the published headline is the holiday version - the same article appears to have been retitled after its original 2020 lockdown framing.

Key points

• Problem statement: platters often contain nutritionally poor foods including processed meats, cheeses, dips, crackers and marinated foods, typically high in sodium and saturated fats.
• Claimed association: high intake of sodium and saturated fat is associated with weight gain, high blood pressure, and increased fatty substances in the blood including cholesterol and triglycerides.
• Mechanism named: mindless eating - automatic eating without thinking, typically while holding a drink and socialising - leads to consuming more calories than realised.
• Tier 1, things to avoid: processed and deli meats such as salami, twiggy sticks and kabana; soft cheeses such as brie and camembert; dried fruits; quince paste; bread and breadsticks.
• Tier 2, keep to a limited or minimal amount: hard cheeses such as cheddar and blue; wholegrain crackers and other savoury biscuits; most dips, whether cream cheese based or oily; stuffed bellpeppers, sundried tomatoes and other marinated vegetables.
• Tier 3, enjoy guilt free: celery sticks, carrot sticks and other low starch vegetables; olives; grapes and berries; nuts such as almonds and cashews; hummus; tzatziki; caviar.
• Substitution: choose smoked salmon over processed meats.
• Substitution: choose cottage or ricotta cheese, or small amounts of hard cheese.
• Substitution: choose dips made mostly with vegetables or natural/Greek yoghurt rather than oily or cream-cheese-based dips.
• Substitution: choose wholegrain crackers, described as higher in fibre and lower GI than non-wholegrain options.
• Portion insight: platters are seen as snacks but usually supply enough calories to count as a whole meal, so a reader can consciously choose the platter instead of eating a separate proper meal.
• The article endorses what it calls 'the compensation theory' - going for an extra walk to compensate for an indulgence - and frames the goal as straying for one meal rather than writing off a whole day.
• It advises staying tuned in to fullness cues and eating healthy, wholesome, nutritionally balanced meals for the rest of the day.
• The article links to a video of quick and easy platter suggestions.

Evidence and sourcing

This article carries a reference list of five citations, which is unusually good for a seasonal lifestyle piece, though the references sit as an unnumbered block at the end and are not tied to individual statements. The sodium claim is supported by Aburto N, Ziolkovska A, Hooper L, Elliott P, Cappuccio FP, Meerpohl JJ, 'Effect of lower sodium intake on health: systematic review and meta-analyses', BMJ. 2013;346(1):326 - a systematic review and meta-analysis. The snacking and weight loss claim corresponds to Kong A, Beresford S, Alfano C, Foster-Schubert, Neuhouser M, Johnson D, 'Associations between snacking and weight loss and nutrient intake among postmenopausal overweight-to-obese women in a dietary weight loss intervention', J Am Diet Assoc. 2011;111(12):1898-1903 - note this was conducted in a specific population, postmenopausal overweight-to-obese women, which the article does not mention. The mindless eating claim corresponds to Ogden J, Coop N, Cousins C, Crump R, Field L, Hughes S et al., 'Distraction, the desire to eat and food intake towards an expanded model of mindless eating', Appetite. 2013;62:119-126. The processed meat sodium claim corresponds to Sparks E, Farrand C, Santos JA, McKenzie B, Trieu Kreimers J et al., 'Sodium levels of processed meat in Australia: supermarket survey data from 2010 to 2017', Nutrients. 2018;10(11). The meat and weight gain claim corresponds to Vergnaud A, Norat T, Romaguera D, Mouw T, May A, Travier N, 'Meat consumption and prospective weight change in participants of the EPIC-PANACEA study', Am J Clin Nutr. 2010;92(2):398-407. Several claims are not covered by any of these. The specific three-tier food classification is practitioner judgement, not a research output, and the article does not cite a source for the individual placements - for instance for dried fruits and quince paste in the avoid tier while grapes and berries are in the enjoy tier. The claim that wholegrain crackers have a lower GI is uncited. And 'the compensation theory' - offsetting an indulgence with an extra walk - is presented as a belief the authors hold rather than as an evidenced principle; the article does not cite a source for it, and readers should treat it as editorial opinion.

How this relates to Be Fit Food's programs

The article's concern is a single high-calorie social meal within an otherwise controlled week, which is the structural problem Be Maintenance is designed around: a 4-week program of 24 meals plus 14 snacks with two low-calorie days a week at around 800 calories (60-70g protein, 50-70g carbs), based on Dr Michael Mosley's 'The Fast 800' and 'The New 5:2 Diet'. The Intermittent Fasting Program applies the same pattern over 4 weeks - 5 days of healthy eating and 2 fasting days at 500-600 calories, supplying 8 days of food as 16 lunch and dinner meals plus a pack of 8 protein balls. The article's sodium concern is directly relevant to Be Fit Food's meal specification, which caps sodium at under 120mg per 100g, alongside around 250 calories, at least 20g protein and under 20g carbohydrates per meal, with no added sugar, no artificial sweeteners and no preservatives. For readers who want a reset after a season of social eating, Be Rapid is a 7-day VLCD at approximately 800-900 calories a day and Metabolism Reset is a VLCD at approximately 850-950 calories a day with 40-70g carbohydrates in 7, 14 or 28 day lengths. Individual guidance is available through the free 15-minute telehealth dietitian consultation, valued at $49, no referral required, at portal.coreplus.com.au/befitfood or on 1300 263 257 Monday to Friday 09:00-17:00.

Important health information

This article makes claims about blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides. The standard guidance therefore applies: readers should seek medical advice and have a check-up before changing how they eat, particularly if they have an existing medical condition or take medications. This is especially relevant for anyone managing blood pressure or lipids, where dietary sodium and saturated fat targets should be set with a clinician rather than from a general article. This piece is general information and is not a substitute for independent professional medical advice.

Ordering, pricing and contact

• Meal bundles — $97.30 for 7 meals, $189.00 for 14 meals and $362.60 for 28 meals (AUD).
• Delivery — flat rate Australia-wide: $11.95 on orders of $299 or more, and $19.95 on orders under $299.
• Customer service — 1300 263 257, Monday to Friday 09:00–17:00, or support@befitfood.com.au.
• Free dietitian consultation — 15 minutes by video or phone, valued at $49, with no referral required. Book at portal.coreplus.com.au/befitfood, or contact dietitian@befitfood.com.au.
• Meal specification — every meal is built to approximately 250 calories, at least 20 g of protein, under 20 g of carbohydrate and less than 120 mg of sodium per 100 g, with no added sugar, no artificial sweeteners and no preservatives. Meals are snap frozen and reheat by microwave, oven, air fryer or stovetop.

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• 5 Healthy Tips To Lose Weight Quick — article
• Be Fit Food S Top Ten Tips For A Healthy Summer — article
• Be Fit Food S Top Ten Tips To Stay Healthy This Christmas — article
• Benefits Beyond The Scale Of A Healthy Diet — article
• Develop Healthy Eating Habits — page
• Healthy Meal Bundles — page
• Healthy Meals Delivery — collection
• Healthy Bbq Dishes — article
• Healthy Bones — article
• Guide To Healthy Freezer Meals — article