Recipes to Try:
• Lemon Chicken with Artichoke Hearts
• Pan-Seared Chicken with Cilantro Pesto
• Grilled Chicken Paillard With Lemon and Black Pepper and Arugula Tomato Salad
• Rolled Chicken Sandwich With Arugula and Parsley Aioli (shown above)
• Chicken Posole
• Ellie Krieger’s Chicken Recipes

Wing It
The classic chicken wing recipe calls for a whole lot of unhealthy steps: flouring and deep-frying the wings and then tossing them in a sauce, which is often a mixture of hot sauce and butter. A single, average-sized fried wing has 100 calories and 7 grams of fat (including 2 grams of saturated fat) and that’s before it’s tossed in any sauce or dipped in blue cheese! Once you dunk that wing in a creamy dressing, you add another 76 calories and 8 grams of fat per tablespoon!

Think a boneless wing is the way to go? Think again! We checked out the menus of some
popular chain restaurants and found orders of boneless wings (with blue cheese dressing) contain more than 1,100 calories, 80 grams of fat and 4,000 milligrams of sodium (that’s almost double the sodium recommendation for an entire day!)

A smarter choice is a roasted, grilled or broiled chicken wing, which only has 35 to 40 calories and 1 gram of fat each — that’s definitely a step in the right direction. Keep portions modest — about five or six wings per person.

Take a (Light) Dip
For your wings’ sauce, replace butter with heart-healthy olive oil or forget the extra fat all together by just brushing your wings with a flavorful hot sauce or other low-fat condiment such as teriyaki, BBQ or sweet and sour.

For dipping, pass on the bottled blue cheese and make a lighter version of your own with plain non-fat Greek yogurt and some crumbled blue cheese (this will save you 45 calories per tablespoon). Salsa and honey mustard are other lower-fat choices.

Finger-Licking Good
Here is how I cut back the calories without losing flavor: pat the wings dry, season with salt, pepper and any other favorite spices, and then a drizzle of oil. Roast them on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a 400-degree oven until golden and crisp or toss them on the grill. Towards the end of cooking, baste with your sauce of choice. Avoid adding the sauce before cooking; this will often cause the outside of the wings to burn before the inside is cooked.

My husbands likes to combine two methods. First, he bakes the wings in a 375-degree oven for 30 minutes and then he moves them to the grill to finish cooking, lightly basting them with a spicy barbecue or hot sauce.

I’ve been scouting out all kinds of wing recipes; here are a few flavor combos I plan to try:
• Hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce
• Soy with honey and ginger
• Curry powder with mango chutney and chopped pistachios
• Smoked paprika and hot pepper jelly

Chicken wing recipes:
• Teriyaki Chicken Wings
• Grilled Spicy Wings
• Sunny Anderson’s Caribbean Chicken Wings
• Sweet and Sour Chicken Wings
• Low-Fat Baked Buffalo Wings

TELL US: What’s your secret to perfect wings?

Our Top Tips
A few things to keep in mind when deciding on your holiday party menu:

• Include all the food groups in your spread — fruits, veggies, dairy, protein and whole grains.
• Balance out the higher-fat stuff (cookies or cheese) with some lower-fat items (veggie pieces and bean dips).
• Finger foods help keep portions small.
• Use smaller-sized plates and serving spoons (especially for dips) — this will stretch your offering and keep overeating in check.
• Add in one or two smaller-sized fried foods and balance them with foods prepped healthier ways, such as baked, grilled, or roasted dishes.
• Offer both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
• Don’t skip dessert but keep portions small and offer some fresh fruit along with more decadent choices.
• Take a few minutes to calculate how much food you really need — no need to have an overwhelming amount of leftovers (we know who’s going to be munching on those!).

What To Put On Your Spread
Now that you know the basics for keeping balance, how about some specific recipes to try? Here are 30-plus ideas to make sure you’re covered…

To-Die-For Dips
• Warm Spinach and Artichoke Dip
• White Bean Dip
• Doctored Up Hummus
• Green Goddess Dip
• Cucumber Yogurt Dip with Pita Chips

Dip Them With…
• Grilled Pita Triangles
• Rainbow Veggie Skewers
• Whole grain crackers
• Raw veggies (crudité) or sliced fresh fruit
• Baked chips

Favorite Finger Foods
• Broccoli and Cheddar Stuffed Potato Skins
• Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp
• Steamed Crab Legs
• Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
• Grilled Polenta Crackers with Roasted Salsa
• Cuke-With-A-Kick Finger Sandwiches

The Sweets
• Pear Ginger Crumble
• Cheesecake Brownies
• Winter Fruit Salad
• Lemon Ricotta Cookies
• Mocha Cake
• Our Holiday Cookie Collection

Loaded Bevvies
• Blissini
• Fresh Whisky Sours
• Hurricane
• Red Wine Spritzer
• Orangutang

Unloaded Bevvies
• Virgin Pomegranate and Cranberry Bellinis
• Mexican Hot Chocolate
• Mulled Apple Cider With Ginger and Orange
• Low-Fat Eggnog
• Passion Fruit Cooler
• Cranberry Spritzer

Read More:
• Understanding Alcohol’s Calories »
• More Easy Appetizers Under 250 Calories »

From Healthy Travels: What To Do When Flying:
“I take oatmeal packets! The airlines always have hot water, and although I usually eat it in a paper cup with two stirrers, it beats the soggy (and questionable) sausage, pancake and egg breakfast on long international flights.” –Msjuju

“I always buy two big bottles of water after the security gate if the flight is four hours or more (otherwise just one). My last long flight, I took a small package of trail mix (just nuts, pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries), a granola bar, a cut-up apple and some baby carrots. All things that would fill me up but not make me feel uncomfortable while sitting around for long periods of time.” –Julo

From Cranberries 5 Ways:
“I love cranberries. I make a berry pie that contains cranberries, blueberries, blackberries and strawberries in any combination, along with cherry pie filling. I add very little sugar and use tapioca for the thickener. It is great.” –Cheryl

From 5 Tips For Smarter Tailgating:
“Buffalo chicken dip with shredded chicken, nonfat sour cream, hot sauce and light Mexican shredded cheese is unsurpassable. I’ve put it in a wrap and just eaten it like that — no chips necessary!” –FoodMakesFunFuel

From Leftover Chicken 5 Ways:
“I always make triple batches of whole-wheat pizza crust and freeze the leftover dough. Then when I have leftover chicken, I make pizza. I’ve done Mexican pizza, buffalo wing pizza and chicken/garlic pizza. Or just regular chicken, cheese, veggies and tomato sauce. Lots of room to be creative when it comes to chicken and pizza.” –Sabina

TELL US: Have a food tip or creative cooking suggestion? Share it on the blog, Twitter or our Facebook page.

From Leftover Chicken 5 Ways:
“My favorite way to use leftover chicken is in stir-fry. Saute onion, garlic and any other veggies you like, then stir in chunked leftover chicken and season with soy sauce and any other seasonings you like. You can also add sliced almonds, peanuts or even walnuts. Serve on rice if desired.” –Avon

From Roast Your Own Pumpkin Seeds:
“I have been roasting seeds since I was a little girl. It’s something my mother and I did after carving the pumpkins for Halloween. I’m 48 now and my daughter, grandson and I still carry on the tradition. I use olive oil and sea salt on some batches. Other batches I might use ancho chili powder and dried garlic. Cracked black pepper is good too — always something different.” –Erin

From In Season: Pumpkins:
“I have two suggestions for using canned pumpkin: I mix in either hot cocoa mix or chocolate chips and microwave for a low-cal dessert, or I also mix some into my morning oatmeal.” –Beth

From But I Just Want Some Pizza?!?:
“I started making my own pizzas several years ago. One package of dough mix makes enough dough for two personal thin crust pizzas. When split, we can personalize each pizza: less cheese and more mushrooms for me, a little more prosciutto for him. Not to mention, pizza is refrigerator velcro — toss on that little bit of leftover chicken, the last of the peppers or whatever you have that needs using up. Throw them on the grill for 5-7 minutes and voila!” –Becky

From Meet This Grain: Oats:
“I mix 1/2 cup dry oats, 1 cup of fat-free vanilla yogurt and 1 cup of mixed frozen berries. Let it sit overnight, and it makes 2 servings for breakfast!” –thismomsguide, via Twitter

Tell us: Have a food tip or creative cooking suggestion? Share it on the blog, Twitter or our Facebook page.

Pasta Salad
Shred up leftover chicken (boneless or picked from the bone), toss with some small pasta and you’ve got a quick dinner the entire family will love. Add a few veggies from the fridge or freezer — peas, bell peppers, carrots or even olives (my favorite) — and you up the vitamin C and potassium. Try this pasta works warm or cold.
RECIPE: Asian Chicken and Orzo Salad

Chicken Sandwich
In about five minutes, you can mix your leftover chicken into delicious sammie. Instead of slices of whole wheat bread, try pumpernickel or rye bread or roll up a flour tortilla. I bulk up my sandwiches with fresh veggies such as arugula, tomatoes, peppers and onions, and then top with one or two spoonfuls of hummus or babaganoush (pureed eggplants).
RECIPE: Rolled Chicken Sandwich with Arugula and Parsley Aioli

Chicken Salad
How ‘bout a budget-friendly chicken salad? Of course, you don’t want to drown your chicken in gobs of mayonnaise. Instead, check out our ideas for  lightened up versions of this easy dish.
RECIPE: Chicken Salad with Peanut-Lime Vinaigrette

Chicken Soup
Instead of toiling over the stove for hours, toss chicken pieces into some pre-made stock or broth with your family’s favorite veggies — presto, a perfect soup in minutes. Mix it up by adding beans, lentils, cabbage, collard greens or tomatoes.
RECIPE: Chicken and White Bean Soup

Classic Salad
Skip that drive-thru salad. Prep an easy lunch at home or on the go with sliced pieces of cooked chicken tossed on a bed of greens with two tablespoons of your favorite bottled vinaigrette (or make your own). Switch up those greens for a change of pace and different nutrients. Don’t forget a slice of bread or small roll on the side to balance it out.
RECIPE: Classic Salad with Chicken

TELL US: What are your tricks for stretching leftover chicken into more exciting meals?

Recipes to try:
• Slow Cooked Provencal Beef Stew
• Mexican Chicken Stew
• Vegetable Couscous Stew
• Chicken Stew (shown above)
• Baja Vegetable Stew
• Quinoa, Chicken and Red Lentil Stew
• Italian Seafood Stew

Get the recipe »

[Photo: Redsie / Recipezaar]

Packing Up
If you don’t have a cooler, buy one. In fact, buy a few medium-sized ones, and keep them handy for any outdoor dining (whether in your own backyard, at a friends, at the beach or at the park). If you’re having a barbecue somewhere, that mean you’ll be toting along raw meats; sometimes they end up sitting in your car or sitting around for several hours until chow time. Make sure to keep raw foods and ready-to-eat salads cold (get some ice packs for those coolers); bacteria love hot weather!

Three Things to Remember
To keep your food safe for your cookout, here’s what to do:

1. Separate: Use at least two coolers — one for raw meats and one for your ready-to-eat salads and cut-up fruits and veggies. Don’t place raw meats, fish and chicken in the same cooler as veggies, fruits or salads. You could end up with burger juice as your salad dressing — ick!
2. Wrap: Wrap each type of food separately so meat drippings don’t get on everything else. Make sure to tightly seal the bags so juices can’t escape.
3. Batch cook: Don’t cook everything up at once. Cooked food shouldn’t be in the sun for more than an hour. Instead, take a headcount on who’s hungry and start grilling small amounts at a time. Leave the extra raw meats in the cooler (or the fridge if one’s nearby) until you’re ready to grill them up.

More info on grilling food safely:
• 8 Grilling Safety Tips You Need To Know
• Using a Thermometer

This is the first post in a weekly series we’re doing in honor of National Food Safety Education Month.

Get the recipe »