How to Build a Healthy Charcuterie Board

Healthy charcuterie boards are on the list of things that I will forever love. Not only do they serve as great appetizers or snacks for entertaining, but they are also packed with nutrient-rich options when prepared thoughtfully. We often think of these simply as meat and cheese trays, but there’s so much to add. Even if meat or cheese isn’t in your diet, you can still build a beautiful healthy charcuterie board that’s satisfying and fun. The possibilities are endless even if you want to make a vegan charcuterie board. Whether you’re plant-based, paleo, pescatarian, or vegetarian, there are tons of options for your healthy charcuterie board experience.

The Platter and Tools for a Healthy Charcuterie Board

There’s really no such thing as the perfect platter or tray. You can use whatever serving dishes you have. I prefer something with lifted edges or a handle so it’s easy to move around. The only requirement is that the serving platter is large enough for the number of people you plan on serving. A cheese knife set and picks are great tools to have. It’s also nice to have some appetizer plates and cocktail napkins.

Now let’s start building the perfect healthy charcuterie board. It’s important to remember that just because you may be avoiding certain foods, your guests may not be. Keep that in mind when building a board for other guests.

Cheese Options

Common options: Goat cheeses, sheep’s milk cheeses, cow’s milk cheese, brie, or other spreadable cheeses.

If you’re on a diet to manage fibroids or hormonal imbalance, you may want to skip out on dairy. The good news is that there are quite a few vegan cheeses on the market that are soy-free. Another option is to make your own vegan cheese. I decided to make a quick vegan “Boursin” using Miyokos cream cheese. It’s made from cashews, which gives it a great texture in my opinion. I’d imagine that you could even mix it with other herbs or dried fruit to mimic a goat cheese log.

Substitutions:

• DIY vegan cheese

• Vegan cream cheese (Miyokos)

• Nut based cheese

• Coconut oil-based cream cheese (Violife)

Protein Options

Common options: salami, prosciutto, soppresseta, ham, turkey

Here’s another area where there are a variety of options. First off, I believe that if you decide to eat meat, it should be non-conventionally raised organic meats and seafood. These meats tend to be better for you and better for the environment. If you’ve removed meat from your diet or are on a plant-based diet, there are a few plant-based meat options that are soy-free. You have a lot of leeways here for proteins.

• Organic meats (Applegates farms is one of my faves)

• Plant-based meats (soy-free)

• Hummus

• Roasted chickpeas

• Smoked salmon

• Smoked trout

• Sardines

Nuts

Common options: Almonds, walnuts, pecans, chocolate-covered almonds

Nuts add some texture to your board. Be mindful of whether you have any guests with nut allergies. Also, remember that if you went with any soy-free meats or cheeses these are likely made with nuts. The only nut I’d avoid altogether is peanuts.

Dippers

Common options: Baguette, assorted crackers, pretzels, breadsticks

Crackers and bread are a must. Even if you’re avoiding gluten there are lots of gluten-free crackers and chip options. Two of my faves are plantain chips and gluten-free bread toasted with ghee. It’s also a good idea to include some veggie sticks for those calorie-conscious guests.

• GF crackers

• GF bread

• Plantain chips

• GF toast

• Carrot sticks

• Celery sticks

• Cucumber slices

Olives/Pickles

Common options: Stuffed olives, Tapenade, marinated olives, sweet pickles

Don’t leave off the olives! You can serve them straight out of the jar, buy them stuffed or seasoned, or stuff or season them yourself. Sweet pickles are often on the ones you find at restaurants, but I would imagine that you could get a little creative here and try some more varieties if pickles are your thing.

• Sauerkraut

• Dill pickles

• Relish

Fruit

Common options: grapes, strawberries, figs, dried apricots

Fresh or dried fruit are always welcomed additions to a board. There are very few people who don’t like or don’t eat fruit.

• Dried oranges

• Dried apples

• Apple slices

• Pear

Condiments

Common options: mustard, jam/preserves, honey

There are a variety of condiments that you can use. Different mustards are always a great choice.

• Seasoned olive oil

• Ghee

• Flavored butter

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