Independence Day gives you the opportunity to show off your cooking skills and basque in the sunshine. Whether you are firing up the grill, slow cooking a labor-intensive dish, or creating an array of dips, the day is all about impressing guests, especially if you are hosting the party. Unfortunately, many of us abandon our healthy habits on Independence Day to indulge in excessive amounts of meat, chips, alcohol, sweets, and whatever else we can get our hands on.
We can almost guarantee that you are going to run into some bad foods on the 4th of July. How you handle yourself when you encounter these foods will determine how the body feels the next day. To avoid being at war with your stomach, there a few strategies you can employ to keep yourself healthy this Independence Day.
Load Up On Grilled Veggies
You don’t have to grill meat just because you fire up the grill. You can grill onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, cauliflower, or zucchini. Loading your plate with grilled vegetables will help keep your total calorie intake down and lead to an easier digestion period.
Don’t Skip Out On Exercising
The Fourth of July is a holiday, yes, but that doesn’t mean you get to take a day off from exercising. Some gyms may have limited holiday hours, but you can do fun workouts outside. Take a bike ride, go to the beach or lake and swim, go on a hike, or swim in a friend’s pool.
Don’t Skip Meals To “Save” Calories For Later
This mindset is flawed. When you don’t eat meals leading up to the party, BBQ, or cookout, you actually end up overeating and making poor food choices. If you are going to a party and don’t know what foods they will have, drink a smoothie or eat a little salad before you leave your house so that you don’t eat as much when you arrive. You can also bring a healthy dish to the party so that you can ensure you have something to eat.
If you are trying to figure out what you need to bring to a party or make for your own shindig, try out some of the following recipes for a healthier Independence Day.
Raw Vegan Cucumber Melon Salsa
This salsa is fresh, slightly sweet, a little bit spicy, and perfect for any summer day. Bring it your Fourth of July festivity and see how much people enjoy it. You may see that people just eat it without using any dipping vessels!
Click here to make the recipe.
Grilled Marinated Eggplant
The simplest and most delicious way to enjoy eggplant is by grilling it. It’s also a blank canvas, meaning it easily adopts flavors. When you marinate the eggplant slices, you impart depth of flavor that only becomes more intense when you grill it.
Click here to make the recipe.
Homemade Jamaican Jerk Sauce
Most Jamaican chefs or cooks don’t typically divulge the secrets to their killer jerk sauces. That being said, they can agree on key ingredients. This sauce will definitely intensify the heat of your Independence Day party!
Click here to make the recipe.
Vegetable Kebabs With A Balsamic Glaze
The balsamic glaze is going to elevate your vegetable kebabs to another level. Fire up the grill and get to cooking!
Click here to make the recipe.
Frozen Watermelon Pops With Cucumber & Lime
This may be one of our favorite dessert recipes, especially during the summer. It is refreshing, subtly sweet, and it can help you stay hydrated in the heat. These are great for a summer party!
Click here to make the recipe.
Refreshing Ginger Lemonade
The hot days of summer have only just begun. Bring a little vitamin C and anti-inflammatory properties to your 4th of July festivities by making this ginger lemonade. It’s refreshing and perfectly tart!
Click here to make the recipe.
Vincent Stevens is the senior content writer at Dherbs. As a fitness and health and wellness enthusiast, he enjoys covering a variety of topics, including the latest health, fitness, beauty, and lifestyle trends. His goal is to inform people of different ways they can improve their overall health, which aligns with Dherbs’ core values. He received his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from the University of Redlands, graduating summa cum laude. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.
