If you’re having a party cocktail hour, you’ll probably want finger food. You have a broad variety of healthy snacks to choose from: You can serve fresh vegetables either raw or grilled with olive oil, with a low-fat or fat-free dip; a bowl of cashews or other nuts; or smoked salmon with reduced-fat cream cheese on a whole grain cracker or pumpernickel square. And for the piece de resistance, try the California Wrap, a favorite of the Phase 1 South Beach Diet recipes.   Then it’s on to oven-fried chicken, a nutty side dish of summer squash, and a delicious angel meringue dessert topped with fresh strawberries.   See more  

California Wrap (Phase 1)

   

Nutty Summer Squash with Asiago Cheese (Phase 1)

   

Oven-Fried Chicken with Almonds (Phase 2)

   

Angel Meringue Dessert (Phase 3)

   

  1. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. 2. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and coat the parchment paper with cooking spray. 3. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on high speed, beat the egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. Gradually sprinkle in the cream of tartar and then the confectioners’ sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and beat until shiny peaks form. Fold in the walnuts. 4. Form the mixture into a 7" circle on the parchment paper. 5. Bake for 1 hour, or until light golden. Turn off the oven and let the meringue cool with the door open. Remove from the parchment and store in an airtight container or place on a serving plate. Top with the whipped topping and garnish with the strawberries and mint. Makes 4 Servings Per Serving: 110 calories, 5 g protein, 11 g carbohydrates, 3.5 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 0 g dietary fiber, 140 mg sodium   Get more recipes and start losing on the South Beach Diet!