Easy and Light Thanksgiving Appetizers

The last thing you may want to think about on Thanksgiving is preparing complicated appetizers. Yet you do need to set out some nibbles and munchies in order to placate the hordes of people waiting for the annual mouthwatering feast. It's a well known fact that no matter how perfectly you plan your timing on Turkey day, dinner always takes longer than you think. Here are some simple yet tasty foods that don't demand too much time or fuss.

It's important to have some healthy snacks for the kids. They don't understand the idea of starving yourself all day (and possibly the day before) in order to fully appreciate the huge dinner on Thanksgiving. A good nibble for young kids is sliced fruit and a light cream cheese dip. Have the oldest child slice up fruit such as apples, pears, or any other fruit you enjoy-under supervision of course. You could also set out some toasted nuts as well. You can prepare the dip the day before. Just mix up softened low fat cream cheese with a little bit of Splenda or honey, a splash of lemon juice, a sprinkle of cinnamon and perhaps some dried cranberries and chopped toasted walnuts. It's so tasty the adults might want some too.

Crostini and bruschetta are always popular appetizers, but it takes time to assemble them, especially if you have a big family or a lot of guests. Simply set out a "bruschetta bar" and let everyone assemble their own appetizers. You can toast the sliced breads the night before and store them in an airtight container. When you serve them on a platter, set out a couple of different cheeses with a cheese board and knife, jars of roasted red peppers, olives, flavored olive oil, sliced or chopped tomatoes, and whatever else you enjoy as a topping. People will love being able to combine their own flavors, and they'll probably eat a little bit less as they have to assemble each bite.