Planning to have friends and family over this weekend? If they’re weight conscious and watching their food like you are, here’s an idea that will please the palate and make for a visually-pleasing delight. Go for a grazing board. It has little bite-sized pieces of whole food and apt to accompany the conversation and flow of the evening.

Advantage? It’s a no-cook, fuss free spread

One of the biggest advantages of the grazing board is that it is no-cook, no fancy prep needed spread so it’s perfect for busy folks. Also, it may look minimal, but you can whip up a themed board of your choice or just do multiple ones. They can also be curated as per your liking. A popular idea is to go with a cheese grazing board with pieces of cheddar, gouda, brie and even blue cheese. Try a cold cut charcuterie board or go with fruit-laden one board. Middle Eastern-inspired platter with bowls of hummus, couscous, pita bread, labneh, crackers, dates, halved figs, a pomegranate, honey, za’atar seasoning, cucumbers and tomatoes.

Tips when creating your own board

• Ideally, create your board on wooden platter or a slab or marble, glass is a no-no.
• Always balance the items out so there it does not look too heavy on any one side.
• Use a bunch of grapes as a divider between larger and smaller ingredients.
• Place little bowls or ramekins with dips near the crudites and olives.
• If there are empty spaces on the boards use almonds, pistachios, walnuts and dried figs to fill them.
• Granola, fresh fruit, mini waffles and cheese work well for breakfast and brunch boards.
• If you’re preparing a grazing board for gifting, go with an organic or vegan spread or have the savoury items on it that someone loves.