The Fourth of July

Fourth of July is a time to have fun and good food with your friends and family. Watching fireworks is a tradition that has been popular for many years. We all have fond childhood memories of watching fireworks on the fourth. We probably all remember the food as well. Can you smell the food already??

Most people have bbq's to celebrate the fourth. The menus usually consist of hot dogs, hamburgers, bbq chicken, potato salad, macaroni salad and sometimes steak and shrimp on the grill. Whatever you chose to eat, I am sure you will eat a lot!! There are healthy alternatives to all of these things or just a healthier way of preparing them.

A good food idea to try is a skewer for different foods together. I usually buy the skewers at the store and add my own food instead of a store bought one. I put chopped pieces of chicken marinated in bbq sauce, whole fresh mushrooms, medium sized shrimp, chunks of potatoes and sometimes even large green pepper or onion slices. It is best to make these ahead of time like earlier that day and marinate in your favorite sauce. I like to use bbq sauce as well as hot sauce. We sometimes will just put a bunch of shrimp on a skewer and grill for the kids. They love that the food is on a stick. For some reason, that makes it more fun for them.

I always make macaroni salad with tuna for our parties. That is a big hit!! I make whole grain elbow pasta and mix in tuna salad, mayonnaise, chopped up purple onion and chopped up celery. I add in salt, pepper and paprika to it when it is done. Everyone, especially the kids loves that!! Another dish that I always have on hand at my house is a tossed green salad. Many people love this if they are on a diet or like to eat healthy. Eating healthy or low fat at a bbq or on a holiday is sometimes a hard thing to do. I make a big salad with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, purple onions, celery, hard boiled eggs, shredded cheddar cheese, croutons or tortilla strips, and cut up broccoli and serve with a few different salad dressing choices. Whenever we are invited to someone's bbq or party and we ask what we can bring, that is what people tell me they want. They all seem to enjoy a big tossed salad to go with all the unhealthy things that they will be consuming that day.

We always have on hand turkey burgers and non beef hot dogs like chicken, pork or turkey. I, personally, do not eat beef so I always make sure to have some alternatives on hand for others that do not eat beef or want to eat something a little lower in fat. Turkey hot dogs do not taste too differently and they have much less fat than regular beef hot dogs. I also buy whole wheat or whole grain rolls as well. This way, if someone does not usually eat white bread, they have an alternative to the regular hamburger and hot dog buns.

Always remember to have a good selection. Variety is the spice of life! Having healthy options will make the choices worth choosing. Anything can be altered a bit to create a healthier meal. Since soda is such a big sugar source, many people do not drink soda anymore. Many people are on lower carb diets now than in the years prior. Many people have adopted a healthier lifestyle since the South Beach diet and the Sonoma diet have surfaced. With obesity and type two diabetes on the rise, people are altering their food and drink choices to healthier, lower sugar options. One thing I alway make sure to have on hand is spring water. I also always have unsweetened iced tea. Diet sodas contain Nutrasweet and artificial sweeteners that have been proven over the years to be bad for us. I try not to have diet choices available unless someone requests it. It is hard to stay healthy once on a kick and with the big offenders lingering around, it is even harder.

Desserts are a must at any party or function. This can get tricky when trying to stay healthy. A good alternative that most will love is fresh strawberries with Cool Whip and sponge cake. Make your own strawberry shortcakes are always a fun treat, and the kids usually love it. You can cut up fresh fruits and put a bowl of Cool Whip out and let everyone help themselves. Sherbet is also a good lower sugar idea. You can even make fruit smoothies using low fat yogurt and fresh fruit.

Whatever you decide to serve, make sure you have a lot of options. Having at least a few healthier options along with the typical bbq foods is a great idea. With so many people on diets now and so many watching their sugar and carb intakes, it is always best to try to accommodate those people and keep them on the straight and narrow path to health.