My church is having a potluck/baby shower for my sister after church this Sunday. I want to bring something good and that fits into the whole foods lifestyle. I could bring a big green salad, but then you have to cart in dressings and stuff, and I'm lazy.

Any ideas?

TIA

This was always a conundrum for me, too. Maybe you could pull together a vegetable tray that is filled with superfood vegetables? Asparagus spears, snap peas, grape tomatoes, broccoli and cauliflower flowerets, carrots, orange pepper strips, etc. You could add a dip, too, to make it more appetizing for those looking for taste over nutrition.

How about a bean salad? They are easy to make and are so good. I believe the recipe forum has a few recipes but basically all you need is a couple cans of beans (garbanzo and kidney beans are a good mix) , some veggies (onions? cucumbers? tomatoes) and a "dressing". For the dressing, you can use some type of vinegar (balsamic or red wine), some lemon juice, some olive oil, salt and pepper. I really enjoy my bean salads

Hmm.. a cold tabbouleh salad (made with bulgur wheat) would be good. For warm dishes, you can make something like Quinoa and black beans. Another dish that reaheats well is roasted veggies.. roast them with spices and a bit of olive oil and they can reheat in a casserole dish at 350 for 20 minutes and are still yummy. Cold cucumber salad would be tasty too.

How bout a fruit salad instead of a green salad? No dressing required!

I made a fabulous "fried rice" that was just brown rice, a can of bean sprouts (rinsed), peas, diced carrot, onion, eggs, some baby corn (cut into small pieces), soy sauce (I used reduced-sodium), and a bit of pineapple juice if you like it sweeter.

I made a great crock pot concoction over the weekend that might work. I used a package each (1.25 lb per package, I believe) of sweet and hot Italian-style turkey sausages. I cooked them on the stove and then cut them into slices. I them simmered in the crock pot with one small can of tomato paste (I use no-salt-added), a can of petite-cut diced tomatoes (again, no-salt-added, also rinsed), 2 sliced green bell peppers, 1 sliced red bell pepper, some chopped onion, a sprinkle of crushed red pepper, and some white cooking wine (sorry I don't give exact amounts--I just "sprinkle" and "splash" things into the pot till it looks/smells/tastes good). It is fabulously delicious yet very low in fat and calories, especially if you bulk it up with even more veggies.

What about a platter of shrimp with some cocktail sauce? It's simple and elegant (and if you live close to a Costco, you can get a nice looking platter all ready to go for not too much $$).

I too have a church potluck this Sunday (the third sunday in a row ) so I appreciate the ideas. I'm taking a cheesy potato dish - definitely not low cal - but I also wanted a "friendlier" dish that I feel better about eating. I took my chile bean salad (in the recipe section) last time, so I need something different this time.

Another thing that's popular at potlucks around here is stuffed mushrooms - and also deviled eggs. Either can be pretty low cal if you choose your ingredients sensibly.

I usually take a fruit salad but have also taken raw spinach w/ strawberries and feta and dressing on the side or a crockpot with sweet potatoes and apples cooked with a few raisins.

We usually have a potluck lunch on the last Friday in every month at work and I often do a pasta salad (any shape) with cubed cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, sliced red onion, black olives, and cubes of feta cheese, with a dressing of balsamic or wine vinegar, olive oil, oregano and/or marjoram, and crushed black pepper ... very tasty and colourful.

Thanks for all the ideas. The bean salad sounds great. The sweet potato/apple thing also sounds good. Is there a recipe for that?