survive without party food 101

Hello my dear readers! I hope, if you live in Australia, you are having a relaxing long weekend with your family and friends. It's a sunny day here in Melbourne even though we are now officially in the chilly months of winter. During these months it's nice to be curled up inside with a blanket and warm drink. I've been doing a lot of curling up this weekend but I've also been out and about shopping, I've been to my church Planetshakers in the north east of Melbs and I graced a 90s dress-up themed house party with my shoulder-padded presence!

My lovely friends and me on the right

Apart from the 90s theme bringing up memories of my questionable sense of fashion during my early high school years (I lived in Singapore with my family during the late 90s, which may have influenced my choice of how to adorn myself - try being tall in an Asian country and finding pants that fit!), the night was very enjoyable even without party food!!!

If you have any kind of dietary requirements or food allergies/intolerances you'll know that eating out can sometimes be a challenge. Nowadays though people and places are generally happy to cater for us. But sometimes it's easier to BYO. And so I seek to answer this modern-day conundrum: how do you survive without party food at parties? 

• Bring your own. Swap the beer for kombucha and the cake for bliss balls. You'll be satisfied, I promise. 
• Eat dinner before. Don't go to a party hungry - eat a nourishing meal before you go and then you won't be tempted by those chips, lollies and party pies!
• Stay hydrated by drinking water. We often confuse hunger with thirst - keep drinking water!
• Focus on people. Of course there is a social element to food but you can be social without food. Just don't let food be the focus of the party. Go with your friends. Hug people. Let go and dance, let loose and laugh. Even introverts can do this (trust me, I'm one of them!), just take a deep breath and start chatting with a friendly face!
• Pack a stash of snacks. How easily do a little bag of raw or activated nuts fit into a slim purse? So easily no one will know until you pull out your snack!
• More snack attack ideas: veggie sticks, trail mix, kale chips, superfood bars and raw chocolate. For dinner parties, BYO healthy dessert, such as my sugar-free chia seed pudding or a raw apple and berry crumble to share!

Just by following these suggestions you're sure to have a good ole time. And the best part is you won't have a party food hangover in the morning! I'd love to hear what your party food survival tactics are so please share with us all!

Quote for the Road…