(Originally posted in Yahoo Health - Photo by: Cynthia Groseclose)

Open-Faced Tea Sandwiches.

Cut carbs without skimping on any of the beauty when you opt for open-faced tea sandwiches. Look at these absolutely beautiful, colorful, and healthy alternatives to traditional teatime fare. 

(Photo credit: The View From Great Island + Home Is Where The Boat Is)

You can find this stunning recipe for Nordic Open Face Salmon Sandwiches here. Add ingredients like whole grain bread, greek yogurt spread, light cream cheese, cucumbers, strawberries, bean sprouts, avocado or radishes. Alternatively, you can use thin breads (specialized for low-carb diets) or a pita pocket for a menu item you can feel great about enjoying.

Yogurt and fruit sprinkled with granola, coconut, or honey.

I think that yogurt parfaits are one of the prettiest and yummiest treats you can enjoy. They are classy and refreshing which make them ideal for springtime tea gatherings. You could layer the yogurt, fruit, and other ingredients (with toppings of course) in a large bowl or in individual cups for guests. These parfaits will make colorful substitutions for indulgent (and sugar as well as fat-loaded) trifles or mousse. 

Frozen yogurt or a homemade sorbet instead of ice cream.

Frozen yogurt with customizable toppings like chopped fresh fruit, coconut shavings, seeds, or honey make a fun and healthy do-it-yourself bar feature at your tea gala. Full of calcium and probiotics, fro yo is a great alternative to heavy, sugary ice cream. Or, if you'd like something non-dairy and wholesome, check out this recipe for A Beautiful Mess's Melon Sorbet. You don't even need an ice cream-maker to whip up this treat--all you need is a food processor!

Be sure to keep your tea party green.

And by green, make sure you include a salad on your menu offerings. We've got this delicious and festive Healthy Chicken Waldorf Salad. With Greek yogurt as a part of the dressing, it's a definite upgrade to the calorie-packed original!

(Photo and recipe credit: It's Yummi)

Ingredients

• 1 LB grilled chicken, cut into bite sized pieces (for convenience, I used Tyson Grillers)
• 2 Jazz apples, cored and chopped into bite sized pieces
• 1 C green or purple seedless grapes, sliced in half
• 1 rib celery, thinly sliced or diced small
• 1/2 C chopped walnuts
• 1/2 C dried cranberries
• 1/2 C raisins
  
  Yogurt Dressing
• 1/4 C plain or vanilla non-fat Greek yogurt 
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Mix your yogurt dressing ingredients in a bowl, whisking to combine. Set aside. Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl. Pour yogurt dressing over it and mix together. This salad is best served chilled. Enjoy!

Opt for almond milk instead of cream.

I absolutely love taking cream and sugar with my tea now that I'm trying to make healthier, better choices, I have switched out cream almond milk (the one with vanilla is my favorite!). I don't usually need to add sweetener to Tea Drops, but if I do, I go for honey or some stevia extract. I feel better after enjoying almond milk--which is a great source of calcium!

We hope this helps pave the way for a wholesome, delicious, and refreshing springtime tea party! Here's to many cups of tea out in the garden and in the sunshine!

Posted by Erin Schwartz