A healthy holiday buffet

Eating healthy doesn't mean having to forgo the holiday socializing that takes place in the office. It just means having to pick out a healthier menu.

Lisa Kane, a licensed dietitian, put together a menu that could supplant the typical office lineup of cocktail franks, meatballs and cookies. Here are her snacking suggestions:

Kettle Corn. (It's healthier than Chex Mix or the peanut butter-chocolate mix called puppy chow.)

Holiday trail mix with shelled pistachios, Craisins, peanuts and dried apricots.

Dipped apricots and nuts in semisweet chocolate.

A variety of nuts. (Include pistachios with shells. Having to crack them open slows down rate of consumption.)

Peanut butter Rice Krispie bars. (They're slightly better than plain Rice Krispie bars because they contain protein and healthy fat, but cut them into 1-inch squares. That's enough to enjoy a taste without getting a holiday bulge.)

Jeff Strickler