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Afraid your healthy, low-glycemic side dish won't taste good enough for a party or that people will turn up their noses? Don't be. With so many people trying to lose weight, lower their cholesterol, or manage their blood sugar, having some healthy options at a party or potluck is sometimes a relief!

As for whether people will badmouth the food you bring, well, you'd be surprised how much people can enjoy good-tasting healthy food when they don't realize what it is. One of my past clients brought a lowfat pumpkin pie to Thanksgiving with very picky relatives (as in the kind who immediately assume something tastes boring or bland if it's healthier). My client just brought the pie and didn't say a word about it. Guess what? She got rave reviews, and some of her relatives even asked for the recipe. At that point, she had to let the cat out of the bag and tell them it was actually a lowfat, low-calorie version of traditional pumpkin pie, but by then the "damage" was already done: She'd successfully introduced her family to a healthier way of eating without them even realizing it!

Check out Part IV of this book to find tasty recipes for any meal or occasion.

Presenting the Best Low-Glycemic Food Picks for Special Occasions

A low-glycemic diet doesn't restrict your food choices too much for special occasions. In fact, because a low-glycemic lifestyle is all about moderation, you can rest easy knowing that having a few medium- to high-glycemic items once in a while won't ruin your efforts.

Whether you're at a holiday gathering, on vacation, or at a party, you can almost always find some good choices. The following sections cover your top low-glycemic picks for these three main types of special occasions.

Holidays

The fall and winter holidays are often the most challenging time for many people working toward a health goal such as weight loss. The core culprit? All those goodies just hanging around at work and at home. However, when you really look at it, many holiday meal items work beautifully with your low-glycemic diet. Here are some top picks for the holidays:

Halloween:

• Pumpkin dip

• Pumpkin soup

• Pumpkin seeds

If it's not Halloween to you without a little candy, Peanut M&M's and Dove dark chocolates are low-glycemic. They're still high in calories though, so just eat a little bit to avoid overdoing it.

Thanksgiving:

• Turkey

• Green beans

• Tossed greens salad

• Pumpkin pie

If you're like me, then of course you want stuffing and mashed potatoes too. Go ahead and indulge that craving; just have a smaller portion of each one.

Christmas:

• Roast beef

• Turkey

• Seafood

• Tossed greens salad

• Roasted vegetables

• Pumpkin pie

Desserts are probably the biggest challenge at Christmas. Pick your favorite and enjoy, but try not to nibble on treats all day.

Hanukkah:

• Brisket

• Roasted chicken

• Applesauce

• Salad

Latkes are probably the biggest temptation during this holiday. Either eat a small amount or try to make vegetable latkes to provide a different spin on the traditional potato version (which is definitely high-glycemic).

Kwanzaa:

• Carrot salad

• Succotash

• Okra and greens

• Red snapper or other seafood

Black-eyed peas are another popular Kwanzaa dish. With their medium-glycemic load, black-eyed peas are also a good choice.

Vacations

Whether you're traveling across Europe, going on a cruise, or camping at a nearby lake, the main goal with vacations is twofold: Do a little planning ahead and remember to balance all foods so you can enjoy yourself and still maintain your weight.

Because so many types of vacations exist, narrowing down the possible low-glycemic food options into a list is difficult. Following are just a few tips of what to buy or look for on a menu:

Grilled, baked, or roasted chicken, turkey, lean beef, or pork

Seafood (make sure it's not fried or dipped in a lot of butter)

Side vegetables

Side salads and soups (sometimes