7 Unhealthy Celebrity Weddings Slideshow
1. Princess Zara and Mike Tindall
When you think of the wedding of a princess, you think prim, proper, and reserved. But that wasn't for this princess. Zara and her rugby star husband opted for a decadent spread, which included Scottish venison with rich and cheesy potatoes Dauphinoise and indulgent Snow Leopard cocktails filled with cream, amaretto, and cachaça.
Healthier Alternative: Though her brawny husband could probably put those extra calories to good use, Princess Zara must remain as lithe as possible for her career as a star equestrian. They could have shaved off over 150 calories per cup simply by switching out the rich and cheesy Dauphinoise for these flavorful roast sweet potatoes. And instead of serving a cocktail with over 100 calories alone from a splash of cream, guests could have sipped something light and refreshing — like a Basil Strawberry Rum-ade — guilt-free.
2. Andy Roddick and Brooklyn Decker
Given their need to be svelte for their careers, you'd think the tennis star and his swimsuit model bride would have opted for a healthful menu at their wedding instead of rich Texas-style beef brisket barbecue and creamy coleslaw. Maybe they were planning on dancing it all off?
Healthier Alternative: A barbecued beef brisket surely doesn't scream "professional athlete weds professional hot person." Perhaps a leaner beef rib roast would have satisfied the couple's longing for beef (minus the sloppy sauce and 20 extra grams of fat brisket packs per four-ounce serving). And instead of the creamy cole slaw, a lighter green bean salad tossed in vinaigrette would have packed just as much flavor with about half the calories (80 versus 180).
3. Pamela Anderson and Rick Salomon
At Pamela Anderson's 2007 wedding, guests dined on pigs-in-a-blanket and miniature donut holes, a surprising choice for the post-ceremony celebration of a PETA spokeswoman and Baywatch girl.
Healthier Alternative: Pam could have made things a bit more nutritious by opting to follow her heart and replaced those pigs-in-a-blanket starters with a fiber-packed, antioxidant-rich vegetarian alternative like a Grilled Asparagus Salad. And nixing the fried mini donuts in favor of a refreshing Basil Lime Sorbet would have saved guests about 150 calories (and 12 grams of fat) per ½-cup serving.
4. Kelsey Grammer and Kayte Walsh
The Frasier star's lavish wedding at New York's Plaza Hotel offered heart-stopping treats, among them goat cheese truffles and braised beef short ribs at a whopping $400 per person.
Healthier Alternative: Decadence need not be spared when choosing a healthy menu that will spoil your guests. May we suggest swapping out the fattening mini burgers (with over 175 calories for the patty alone) and Manchego cheese melts for equally satisfying smoked salmon appetizers that come in at around 125 calories a pop. And instead of serving rich short ribs for, they could have chosen something just as decadent — beef tenderloin — saving their guests about 225 fewer calories per three-ounce serving.
5. Beyoncé and Jay-Z
In 2008, the bride gained 15 pounds for her role in Cadillac Records. How did she do it? With help from her lavish seven-course wedding feast featuring favorites like Beluga caviar and Popeye's fried chicken, of course.
Healthier Alternative: Instead of serving up crispy chicken, deep fried in oil with the skin on, this musical powerhouse couple could have saved their guests about 240 calories and 21 grams of fat per half chicken breast by serving teriyaki chicken instead As for the caviar? A little never hurt anyone.
6. Katharine McPhee and Nick Cokas
When the American Idol runner-up got hitched, she went all-American with a menu featuring short ribs and a chocolate fountain.
Healthier Alternative: Whether this rib and barbecue thing is a trend or not, we think that the health conscious should opt for something classic — and leaner — like a roast leg of lamb with about 20 fewer grams of fat (and about 350 fewer calories) per four-ounce serving. And instead of a free-flowing chocolate fountain where guests can easily overindulge on too much chocolate (at around 50 calories per ounce) and pound cake (with about 135 calories for two one-and-a-half-inch cubes), why not serve a fresh, summery Strawberry Sandy make with fresh berries, Greek yogurt, and a shortbread cookie for around 200 calories instead ?
7. Jaime Dugan and Erik Huffman
This couple, who met as contestants on Survivor: China, would have lost on episode one had they survived on the heart-clogging spread at their Charleston, S.C. wedding, where offerings included fried turkey, mac n' cheese, takeout-style Chinese, and fried green tomatoes.
Healthier Alternative: Lard sandwiches? There are very few things as unhealthy as this wedding's meal. Swap out the mac 'n cheese for a hearty pasta salad to save over 100 calories and nine grams of fat. And let real green tomatoes shine in a refreshing soup with around 150 calories per cup (and hardly any fat). Chinese food is a notorious diet-disaster. Instead of chicken lo mein (with around 310 calories and 12 grams of fat per cup), fill your guests (not their waists) up with a fiber-rich lamb and vegetable stir-fry over rice for only 275 calories and 6 grams of fat (for three ounces of meat, a cup of broccoli, and ½ cup of brown rice).