Healthy Entertaining on the South Beach Diet You may think that you have to shop and cook differently than you usually do on the South Beach Diet in order to throw a memorable party. But just the opposite is true. As you prepare the recipes in this book, you''ll realize that making dishes for special occasions means using the same nutritious ingredients that you choose on a day-to-day basis. From tantalizing appetizers to sumptuous desserts, you''ll be producing fantastic, healthy meals that will remain in your entertaining repertoire for years to come. In fact, if you love to cook classic dishes for festive occasions, you''ll find yourself continually turning to this book. Our Christmas Day menu, for example, features a mouthwatering Crown Roast of Pork served with Apple- Onion Chutney, tender Braised Red Cabbage, and nutty Green Beans Amandine (see pages 217 to 231). Our healthy Easter menu puts a lemony Spring Quinoa Salad alongside a traditional Herb and Garlic Roasted Leg of Lamb (see pages 145 to 153). And for the Fourth of July, there are fantastic Firecracker Cheddar Burgers (page 179) made with lean ground beef and reduced-fat cheese.

And who could throw a Super Bowl party without a great chili or have Thanksgiving without turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie? We''ve updated these must-haves without ever compromising taste. So, when you host your South Beach Diet Super Bowl Bash, you''ll serve a hearty Pork and Poblano Chili (page 56) made with a lean cut of meat and loads of nutritious, fiber-rich vegetables and beans. And for Thanksgiving, you''ll make a Pumpkin Pie (page 194) that has all the creamy sweetness and spice you''d expect, plus a delicate, buttery-tasting phyllo crust in place of one made with white flour, sugar, and butter. We''ve also included plenty of dishes in every menu for vegetarian guests, as well as recipes that will appeal to kids. And to complement some of the meals, we''ve come up with some unique mocktails-thirst-quenching, nonalcoholic drinks like Pomegranate Punch (page 123) and Mint-Ginger Spritzers (page 153)-that can be used interchangeably from one party to another. Finally, no party or holiday meal would be complete without dessert: Your guests expect it, and of course you''ll want to enjoy a few bites yourself. For this reason, we''ve continued to use the healthiest ingredients to make all the desserts in this book. We''ve included old favorites, like a warm Blueberry Cobbler (page 87) for our Backyard Grill Fest, as well as new ideas like refreshing Lemon-Thyme Ices (page 175) for Mother''s Day and some adorable mini Boy or Girl Angel Cakes (page 41) that are perfect for a baby shower.

Bottom line: By using the healthy foods and cooking techniques we recommend throughout this book, you will be able to enjoy your South Beach Diet lifestyle at any party you throw. And as an added bonus, you''ll feel better knowing that you''re staying healthy. How to Use This Book Before you jump in and start cooking, there are a few things we want you to know about the organization of this book and its special features. We''ve divided the book into two main sections. The first part features 10 festive parties, ranging from a Phase 1 Kickoff to celebrate your new lifestyle (and ideally help some friends start the diet, too) to a Rite of Passage Party to ring in a milestone event. Some of the parties are seasonal, like the Super Bowl Bash, and others, like the Family Buffet, can be held at anytime of the year. Many of the parties can easily be adapted to suit a wide variety of occasions. For example, you can host the Hors d''Oeuvres for a Crowd party to celebrate a new job or an engagement or throw the Backyard Grill Fest or Weekend Brunch for a birthday or graduation party.

The Baby Shower can be easily modified to fit a wedding shower. The second part of the book features 11 holidays that fall throughout the year, from New Year''s Day to Christmas Day. We''ve included traditional occasions, such as Passover, Easter, Cinco de Mayo, and Thanksgiving, as well as menus for other celebrations like Valentine''s Day and Mother''s Day. On the opening page for each party and holiday, you''ll find a Game Plan-a quick reference tool that helps you get and stay organized. It lets you see at a glance which dishes can be prepared ahead and reminds you when to order special items in advance, like the crown roast of pork for Christmas. The Game Plans start as early as a month ahead (when certain dishes can be prepared and frozen) and lead you right up to what has to be done on the day of the party. Remember that you don''t have to follow the Game Plans or the full menu for any event. Set up a schedule that works best for you, and leave out a soup course or an appetizer if time is tight or if you prefer to make less food.

Each of the Game Plans works in tandem with the Make-Ahead instructions that appear beneath most of the recipes in this book. If you''re following all or part of the Game Plan, you''ll want to look to the Make-Ahead information for specific details. For example, if you choose to prepare the Chicken Cassoulet (page 73) ahead of time for the French Bistro Party, you''ll turn to its Make-Ahead information for instructions on how to store the dish once it''s cooked and how to reheat it on party day. And to help you plan ahead even further, we''ve also provided prep and cook times with each recipe. While many of the recipes can be done on the day of the party, others may involve freezing or overnight marinating or a special technique that might require a little extra effort. You''ll want to pay attention to these times as you plan your menus. In addition, each recipe is marked with the appropriate phase. If you''re on Phase 1 and want to throw one of the parties that include Phase 2 and Phase 3 dishes, you can substitute Phase 1 dishes from other menus to create your own Phase 1 party.

Of course, if you''re on Phase 2 or Phase 3, you can prepare the Phase 1 recipes anytime. Following each recipe, you''ll find "Nutrition at a Glance." This breakdown will give you the calories, total fat and saturated fat, protein, carbohydrate, cholesterol, and fiber in an individual serving, and it can also help you keep track of sodium, if it''s a concern. Remember, this is a special-occasion cookbook, so you''ll intentionally be preparing more food than you normally do for an average meal on an average day. In fact, many of the recipes do provide seconds for those guests who might want an extra serving. And some menus may feature more than one entrée or more than one dessert so you can easily feed a crowd. For every recipe, we''ve indicated the number of servings and serving sizes (for example, 3 canapés, 1 cookie, 1 cup soup) where useful, to help guide you as you make these nutritious dishes. Planning a Great South Beach Diet Party From the time you make the decision to host a party to the moment you see your last guest out the door, there are all kinds of things to consider.

(See our "Checklist for Success" on pages 8 and 9.) Each party you give will have its own special flair, but you''ll find these general pointers useful, too. First decide what type of party you want to have and how many people you''d like to include. Our parties and holidays range in size from 2 guests to 12, but you can easily scale them up or down for larger or smaller groups. Just double or triple the recipes to accommodate more people or cut the recipes by half if you invite fewer guests. Think about what kind of atmosphere your home has or what feeling you want to create. Will your party be formal or laid-back? Held indoors or out? Be an afternoon or an evening event? Choose a serving style. For example, the Rite of Passage Party and New Year''s Day Open House work particularly well as buffet-style events.

The Easter Gathering and Thanksgiving can be served family-style. And the Valentine''s Day Dinner for 2 and Mother''s Day Luncheon make more intimate meals. There''s plenty of flexibility here, so decide what works best for you. Consider who''s coming. Is your party just for adults, or will there be children invited, too? Our Fourth of July Revel and Family Buffet include a lot of kid-friendly food choices, while the French Bistro Party pleases more sophisticated palates. Pick a theme. Cinco de Mayo is a fun one to try. You can enhance the theme of a party like this by making maraca-shaped invitations, playing Mexican music, or having guests swing at a piñata.

The Super Bowl Bash and Fourth of July Revel also make great theme-oriented occasions. Enjoying Party Day the South Beach Diet Way You''ve planned, sent invites, shopped, and cooked. Now party day is finally here. You may be feeling a little stressed, but you don''t have to be. The following suggestions can help you stay energized and worry-free before, during, and after the event. Don''t change your normal eating routine. As mentioned earlier, on the days leading up to the party, and especially on the day of, stick to whatever phase of the diet you''re on and make sure to eat breakfast, lunch, and healthy snacks. This way, you won''t be hungry while you''re preparing the party food, and when the party starts, you won''t be -famished.

Keep yourself hydrated. While you don''t need to keep an exact count of how many glasses of water you consume on a daily basis, being well hydrated will help you stay energized and combat headaches and fatigue-two things you want to avoid on party day. Drink water when you feel thirsty and remember that fruits, vegetables, and milk contribute to your water intake. Schedule time for exercise. Getting some exercise decreases stress and increases energy. When you exercise, your body releases feel-good hormones called endorphins, which help relieve stress and keep your blood sugar levels stable so that you don''t get cravings. If it''s too hard to work in an aerobics, Pilates, or yoga class on party day, take a brisk walk or go for a bike.