February is National Snack Food Month, and your favorite restaurants in New Jersey are celebrating in style! Want to switch up your usual dinner routine in honor of this month of snacks? Try ordering a meal of appetizers to share with your whole party! It’s a fun way to try all the snack-able goodies without blowing your budget—or your waistline!

The Requirements

As fun as appetizer samplers can be, if you want to make a meal of your favorite restaurant’s appetizers, you’ll need to plan carefully. This is especially true if you have kids or need a relatively healthy diet. To plan a meal of appetizers, try to consider your basic food needs—protein, veggies, and whole grains for energy. Here are some suggestions you may want to add, keeping in mind that a typical restaurant appetizer is designed for 4 people to snack on. For parties of 5 or less, try having each person pick a different appetizer, plus one for the table. For big parties, you may want to double-up on favorites and order a few extra items per table.

Veggies

Veggie snacks are the best! Tell the kids you’re having “chips and snack balls” if they don’t like the idea of zucchini and eggplant chips or eggplant balls, but savvy diners know that veggie-driven appetizers are a delicious snack! Our restaurant in Glen Rock has plenty to choose from, including our grilled Very Veggie and Brie Crostinis!

Proteins

Snacks at home usually come from a bag or a box, and are markedly short on protein. Not true at the best Italian restaurants in New Jersey! When you visit, you can choose a variety of vegetarian proteins, like fried Halloumi cheese, Chef Sal’s homemade mozzarella platter, or stuffed little neck clams, or you can go for the meat with buffalo chicken poppers, boneless BBQ wings, or Iachetti’s signature meatballs. Go easy on the dipping sauces to avoid getting too full!

Grains

If you don’t want to be hungry before your next meal, you should try to incorporate some grains. At our restaurant in Glen Rock, you’ll have to look just outside our official starter menu—our sides of three grain rice pilaf or sweet potato tots are a perfect addition, or add some flatbread to round out your snackfest.

Ready for a great dinner? Visit Iachetti’s Restaurant in Glen Rock today!