As Americans, this weekend is about celebrating our freedom with fireworks, parades, and spending time family and friends. We are a nation that loves to eat and our gustatory tastes run the gamut from “it-can’t-be-rare-enough” carnivores to vegan raw food lovers. While we celebrate our cultural diversity, let's take a moment to remember that all meals are not created equal. Whether you’re planning a meat-centric barbeque or a vegetarian feast, here are some healthy dishes everyone can enjoy this Independence Day!
Appetizers for All Appetites
After the initial pleasantries, your guests’ next thought will most likely be “What’s to eat?” Appetizers are a must at large gatherings. Here are is a healthy suggestion to satisfy your guests while the main course is being prepared!
Loaded Veggie 7-Layer Dip
Who doesn’t love a good dip? We gained some inspiration from littlebroken.com and added a few healthy substitutes to ours. Using an 8x11 casserole dish and a food processor, go through the following steps for healthy deliciousness.
Layer One – The Bean Layer
- 1 15 oz. can of black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 dry chipotle pepper
- 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
- 2 Tbsp. water
- Half cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 tsp of cumin
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until ingredients are well blended.
Layer Two – Avocado Layer
- 3 pitted avocados
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
The Other Layers
- ½ Cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 cups chopped heirloom lettuce
- 3 organic heirloom tomatoes, seeded and chopped
- 1 cup chopped cucumber
- ¼ cup chopped onion and cilantro mixed for the top layer
Spread the beans in an even layer on the bottom of an 8X11 (or similar) casserole dish. Spread the avocado in an even layer on top of the beans, followed by a layer of plain Greek yogurt. Add the heirloom lettuce, organic tomatoes, cucumber. Garnish with the mixed red onions and the remaining cilantro. Serve immediately with fresh pita chips.
Some other suggestions for recipes to fill the table for a pre-feast snack include homemade hummus, Caprese Skewers, and Deviled Eggs.
Sides that won’t Stick to your Sides
The delectable feast with healthy intentions has only just begun! Our featured side will bring the flavor to savor and add some extra flare and color to your celebratory spread.
Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers
To start, you’re going to need 6 fresh bell peppers. We recommend red for its sweetness although yellow bell peppers should work just fine too and grow in abundance during the summer months. Start by cutting off the top of the bell peppers and prepare the following for stuffing:
- 1 tsp. Olive oil
- ¾ cup finely chopped shallots
- 4 cups chopped mushrooms
- 1 cup chopped fresh parsley (could substitute with cilantro)
- ¼ cup slivered almonds, toasted
- 3 tbsp. dry sherry
- 1 ½ tsp. ancho chile powder
- 2 ½ cups cooked brown rice
- 1 cup tomato juice
- ½ tsp. freshly ground pepper
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ¼ cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
Heat up oil in a large non-stick pan adding the shallots first followed by the mushrooms. Cook for 3 minutes. Add the parsley (or cilantro), almonds, sherry, chile powder, garlic, and salt, sauté for 3 minutes, Mix in the cooked rice, and stuff the bell pepper with the mixture leaving about one-half inch at the top. Top it off generously with the cheese and place on a broiler pan into the oven. Bake for 15 minutes and voila, you have a delicious healthy side fit for the pickiest of guests.
Another quick and easy side to set out are Summer Vegetable Kabobs. Healthy crowd favorites also include yummy Wild Mushroom Crostini complete with creamy ricotta and a mixture of garlic and herbs. Finally, round out your spread while using up some of that extra cilantro with Mexican-Style Corn on The Cob.
The Perfect Burger
The perfect burger is completely open to interpretation. If you have vegetarians at your party, Portobello mushrooms are great as a meat substitute. Prepping a Portobello is simple. Using a brush, slather the cap with olive oil. This will help soften the Portobello as it cooks and gives it a smoky taste. Grill for about 10 minutes.
Healthier meat options include turkey or fish. If you’re taking the classic beef approach, ask your butcher for ground sirloin for the best taste at the lowest fat content. And for some great tips on how to cook and prep your perfect patties, check out Cooks Country.
Create a burger bar area so guests can make their own personal version of food nirvana. Smash up an avocado or use guacamole as a spread instead of mayo. Put out some fresh buns but also have some butter lettuce ready to use as a wrap for guests wanting a low carb alternative. Other delicious low-calorie toppings include grilled onions, heirloom tomatoes, pineapple, chives, alfalfa sprouts, cucumber slices and pickles.
Help your guests avoid Heartburn.
Proper digestion is all about time and timing. Don’t wait until dusk to fire up the grill. Start early and make it a daytime event in order to give guests adequate time for their meals to digest before bedtime.
If dinner is the goal, invite guests over in the mid-afternoon and plan to have the main course ready by 6. After the meal, encourage guests to avoid strenuous activities for at least 30 minutes to avoid indigestion. Brew some green tea and serve warm as an after dinner beverage. Green Tea has properties that help with digestion.
Also, have some Digestive Health Support ready for any over-stuffed guests. The calming combination of Angelica root, chrysanthemum, mint, and other soothing herbs will help your guests properly digest after a big delicious meal.
Finally, if you’re lucky enough to live in an area where you can walk to see some fireworks, encourage everyone to engage in some mild digestion-aiding exercise! Happy Independence Day!