Having an eat clean menu for your summer parties is a helpful go-to to keep from overindulging and losing all the hard work you’ve been doing eating well! Summertime is too easy to lose good habits and fall back into bad ones.
Remember these summer tips and keep this eat-clean menu handy for when you’re hosting a party this summer. These are also great ideas for what to bring to a party to ensure you have healthy options to eat once you’re there.
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What Does Eating Clean Mean?
Eating clean means that you are eating the most natural, simple version of your foods. By limiting overprocessed foods and extra ingredients, eating clean instead focuses on whole foods. It’s not a rigid way of eating, but a healthy and flexible way of eating that focuses on the best version of the foods you eat.
Choosing to eat clean is a healthy habit with many potential benefits, including higher energy levels, weight management, and brighter skin. Focusing on quality ingredients instead of restricting food groups is what eating clean is all about. You can still enjoy a wide range of foods and a balanced diet while limiting artificial sweeteners and additives.
Some best practices of eating clean include obtaining locally sourced foods from your own garden, a nearby farm, or a local farmer’s market. In-season produce is also encouraged, as well as organic foods. Lots of vibrant colors, vitamins, and minerals make up clean eating with fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, meat and fish, spices, and nuts.
Eat Clean Menu for Summer Parties
In this easy, eat clean menu, we’ll discover the best clean options for appetizers, main courses, and even desserts. You’ll be all set to shop and make your party menu one you can be proud of. I assure you, people will be impressed with the results!
Have fun with the display of these beautiful, fun foods, and they will easily be just as visually appealing as they are delicious. Set the tone for a healthy summer party that invites your guests to make good choices with you, and prove that an eat clean menu can be done with exciting, tasty dishes.
Eat Clean Appetizers
These appetizers emphasize not only healthy whole foods, but also fun and easy foods to feed a crowd. Mix and match, or make them all!
1. Fresh Veggie Platter with Hummus and Guacamole (Homemade or Store Bought)
- Arrange colorful chopped veggies on a tiered serving tray like this
- Add homemade hummus, guacamole, and a clean ranch yogurt dip (or store bought with simple ingredients), serve in this great condiment set
2. Stuffed Mini Bell Peppers
- Slice rainbow mini peppers in half lengthwise
- In a bowl, mash avocados with lime juice and cilantro
- Fill mini peppers with avocado mixture
3. Cucumber Hummus Bites (Homemade or Store Bought Hummus)
- Slice cucumbers 1/2 inch thick, scoop out seeds (careful not to go all the way through)
- Add a dollop of hummus where the seeds were scooped
- Top with roasted red pepper flakes and fresh dill
4. Mini Caprese Skewers
- Use a pint of cherry tomatoes, a container of fresh mozzarella balls, and fresh basil leaves
- Skewer the ingredients and arrange on a platter
5. Chickpea Quinoa Salad
- Make a cup of quinoa according to directions, let cool
- Drain a can of chickpeas and rinse
- Dice peppers, red onion, tomatoes, and cucumbers (or any variation of veggies)
- Mix chickpeas and veggies with the quinoa
- In a separate bowl, mix 1/4 cup of olive oil, 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice, 2 cloves minced garlic, add salt and pepper to taste
- Pour over chickpeas, veggies, and quinoa & mix
Eat Clean Main Courses
1. Grilled Chicken Breast + Salad Bar
- Season chicken to your taste and grill to perfection
- Offer a salad bar filled with base greens like organic mixed greens, romaine lettuce, and spinach
- Offer fresh vegetable of choice for mix-ins
- Offer healthy fats like avocados, nuts, seeds, and olives
- Offer clean dressings like a Greek yogurt herb dressing (Plain Greek Yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, chopped parsley, and garlic powder), or a simple dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
- Provide fun salad bowls like these for your guests
2. Marinated Grilled Chicken Skewers (Or Tofu!) with Grilled Veggies
- Marinate chicken or tofu in olive oil, lemon, garlic, and fresh herbs
- Cut chicken breast or tofu into chunks, secure on metal skewers, and grill
- Serve with grilled Corn on the Cob and other grilled veggies
3. Homemade Turkey Burgers & Sweet Potato Wedges
- Mix ground turkey (1lb makes 4 burgers) with 1 tablespoon each of plain Greek yogurt, Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon each of garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika, 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- Add red onion and jalapeño for a kick
- Form into patties & grill
- Let sit a few minutes, then serve wrapped in lettuce
- Serve with sweet potato wedges – roasted with paprika and sea salt
4. Grilled Shrimp with Citrus Arugula Salad
- Marinate shrimp in olive oil, lime juice, garlic, and paprika
- Skewer and grill 2-3 minutes per side
- Pair with a citrus arugula salad (arugula, oranges, toasted almonds, olive oil & lemon vinaigrette.)
5. Grilled Veggie Tacos with Mexican Slaw
- Grill sliced sweet potatoes, peppers, and onions
- Serve in corn tortillas with avocado, lime, and cilantro
- Mexican Slaw: shredded cabbage, carrots, cilantro, lime juice, and a drizzle of olive oil
Eat Clean Desserts
You can still enjoy desserts while eating clean, too – just be smart about it. These desserts are delicious, and you don’t have to worry about sabotaging your eat clean efforts for a tasty treat!
1. Dark Chocolate Dipped Fruit
- Cut strawberries in half, peel oranges, slice pineapples and bananas
- Melt 70% + dark chocolate
- Using a small crockpot for melting chocolate, serve cut fruit with toothpicks or small metal skewers to dip in chocolate
- OR – dip fruit in melted chocolate and place on a parchment-lined tray, chill. Serve already dipped.
2. Oatmeal Bites
- Mix 1 1/4 cups of rolled oats, 1 cup almond butter, 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, 2 tablespoons flax meal, 1/4 cup pure maple syrup or raw honey
- Roll into balls and store in the fridge until ready to serve
3. Banana "Ice Cream"
- Blend frozen bananas in a food processor or Yonanas
- Add nut butter or berries for a sweet treat
4. Clean Chocolate Bark
- Melt 70% + chocolate and spread on a lined tray
- Sprinkle with toppings like berries, coconut flakes, almond slices, chia seeds, or sea salt
- Chill until firm, then break into pieces and serve
5. Lemon Coconut Balls
- Blend 1/2 cup cashews or almonds in a food processor until finely ground
- Add 1 cup of shredded coconut, 6-7 dates (pitted), 1 tablespoon lemon zest, and 2 tablespoons lemon juice and blend again
- If dry, add a bit more lemon juice or a splash of warm water
- Roll into balls, refrigerate until firm at least 20 minutes, and then serve
Keeping Healthy for the Summer
Summertime is such a fun time filled with parties, cookouts, get-togethers, and good times. Planning ahead can help you stay healthy this summer, as we tend to overindulge at parties and nights out.
Keeping your party menu clean and preparing yourself with a clean dish to bring to get-togethers will set you up for success in keeping healthy for the summer. Keep your healthy habits when you’re home, and bring them into the party season, too!
