Top 6 Tips to Have a Healthy, Fun 4th of July Holiday (Recipes Included)

It's summertime!!! 

We are in official full swing of summer and one of my favorite summer holidays has always been 4th of July. There's just something about being able to cook out with friends all day, have fun lighting fireworks and enjoying the fact that it stays warm well after the sun goes down.

I think being overseas away from America for four 4th of July seasons made me really treasure this holiday when I came back. It truly is the AMERICAN holiday! We often forget that it symbolizes our official independence; but most people at least still hold dear the pride that comes along with this holiday. 

But what do you do if you are trying to stay healthy, trim, fit, and on track during the summer months? 4th of July cookouts are notorious for serving up unhealthy food and drink. Just like anything else it's a matter of being intentional about the decisions you make on this day. While it's easy to overeat, eat the wrong thing, or lose track of what exactly you've put in your body, it IS possible to stay on target with your goals and still enjoy this holiday to the fullest. 

Here are my top 6 tips (and also some recipes at the end) to help you make the most out of your 4th of July holiday without damaging your waistline:

TIP #1: GET UP AND EXERCISE

Let's be honest...all the main 4th of July activities don't actually start until the afternoon, right? So you have PLENTY of time to get in some exercise before the big day starts to go down! If you're a gym-goer, you might find that if your gym is open it's only open for the first few hours of the day anyway. So go take advantage of those limited hours and get your workout in early in the day. If you workout at home, get up early and pop in your favorite at-home workout DVD and get your sweat on. If you want to involve the kids, get them up, grab your bikes and go on a nice bike ride down to the park or around the neighborhood. Bottom line: get your workout in and get it in early in the day so that you can beat the heat and so you can have time for all of the fun activities that will be happening later in the day. 

TIP #2: GET TO PREPPING

If you're fortunate enough to be hosting the big day event at your house, that means you'll probably be getting things ready for all of your guests. So get the grill warmed up, get the house cleaned up (another form of exercise to add on to what you did already), and start getting together whatever foods you've opted to provide. One of the biggest tips I can offer to anyone who is trying to live a healthy lifestyle but still wants to enjoy get-togethers is to bring something to the party that you know is a good choice. That way if NOTHING else on the table fits within your lifestyle, you know you at least have what you brought to enjoy. 

TIP #3: LIMIT YOUR ALCOHOL

Drinks seem to be an integral part of the 4th of July festivities. If you are going to participate in this particular activity, just do so in moderation. One or two drinks to enjoy yourself is perfectly fine. Not only will you be able to remember the day, you will also be helping your waistline. Alcohol can really help to give you the opposite goal you are shooting for if you're trying to stay in shape. Especially beer! So if you're going to drink, have a couple and enjoy naturally flavored water the rest of the day. Chances are it's going to be really warm anyway, and staying hydrated is super important. 

TIP #4: DON'T HOVER OVER THE FOOD TABLE

This is probably the biggest tip for ANY get together. Get your plate of food and walk away from the food area and enjoy what you dished up. There's not need to spend all your time sitting next to the bags of chips and bowls of dip. Usually if something is in front of you, you'll eat it even if you're not hungry for it. So get up and walk away from it and go occupy yourself with something else. 

TIP #5: MAKE SMART CHOICES FOR YOUR PLATE

You can still eat really well at a BBQ and not have to eat horribly. Like we talked about earlier, making sure that you bring at least one or two things that you know are going to fit within your goals is a great way to make sure you at least have SOMETHING good to eat. The nice thing about grilling out though is that there are some great choices you CAN make. This is what I suggest on your plate: reasonable serving size of BBQ chicken breast, some fruit, some greens (either salad or something else green), and one serving of a dessert. This is a great allocation of all of the foods that you need to eat. Just because there are 5 different desserts available, doesn't mean that you have to have some of each one. Pick your favorite and call it good! 

TIP #6: PARTICIPATE IN A FUN WATER ACTIVITY: 

What's better on a hot summer day than water guns, water ballons, slip and slide, etc? Not only will it keep you cool, but it's fun and it will keep you moving. So involve the kids, involve the whole family. Set up a competition and teams and keep score. This holiday is a day of being together, so make the most of it and have a great time with some water sports! 

There you have it, my top 6 tips to having a fun 4th of July holiday where you can still maintain your healthy lifestyle goals. 

Here are some great recipes to include in your fun-filled day:

Grilled Chicken with Speedy BBQ Sauce:

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 finely chopped red onion

1/2 green bell pepper, finely chopped

1.5 cups BBQ sauce

4 (5-oz) boneless skinless chicken breast halves

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat Grill

2. Warm the oil in medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and green pepper; cook 5 minutes, stirring, until softened. Stir in BBQ sauce. Cook for 3 minutes to warm  through and blend flavors, stirring often.

3. Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Combine the chicken  and 1 cup of the sauce in a large zip-loc bag; flip to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 10 minutes, or up to 2 hours. 

4. Remove chicken from the marinade. Place chicken on grill over medium-hot coals. Cook 12 minutes, turning once. Serve. 

4th of July Salad (Recipe serves 2-3, so adjust ingredients accordingly)

Ingredients:

3-4 cups of fresh romaine lettuce cleaned and torn 

1/2 cup fresh blueberries

1/2 cup fresh strawberries, cut into smaller pieces

1 oz feta cheese (crumbled)

1 Tbspn Poppyseed Dressing (Trader Joe's makes a really good one)

Instructions:

Wash all of your ingredients

Place romaine in bowl

Top with berries and feta

Top with 1 Tablespoon dressing

Enjoy!

Black Bean & Corn Feta Dip

Ingredients:

2 cans black beans (drained and rinsed)

2 cans corn (drained)

8 oz Feta Cheese

1/8 cup chopped green onions

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

Instructions:

Mix everything together

Refrigerate 1-2 hours before serving

Red White & Blue Parfaits (recipe makes 6 servings)

Ingredients:

8 oz container of vanilla low-fat yogurt

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 8-oz container froze light whipped topping, thawed

3 cups fresh raspberries and/or cut up strawberries

3 cups fresh blueberries

Instructions:

In a large bowl, stir together yogurt, almond extract, and then fold in whipped topping

To serve, in six 12-oz  glasses or dessert dishes, alternate layers of the berries with the yogurt mixture.

Red White & Blue Popsicles

Ingredients:

2 pints raspberries

1 cup blueberries

2 c vanilla yogurt

2 tablespoons stevia

Instructions:

Puree raspberries with sweetener

Pour raspberry puree into popsicle molds

Layer yogurt into popsicle molds

Mix blueberries with yogurt and add to popsicle molds

Freeze until completely solid

HAVE A HAPPY, SAFE, FUN INDEPENDENCE HOLIDAY, EVERYONE! 

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