Celebrate Independence Day With These Great Recipes

Celebrate Independence Day With These Great Recipes

With Independence Day quickly approaching, it’s time for you to get set and prepare for any parties you might be throwing or attending.

Coming up with some healthy recipes to serve up at your celebratory dinner is a great way to keep your weight in check while making sure that you still enjoy yourself.

Many people do often just write the day off and indulge anyway, but it really doesn’t have to be this way. Get creative and you can make food that tastes just as great but will fill your body with optimal nutrition.

Let’s have a look at a few recipes to get you started.

Patriotic Parfait 

If you want something refreshing to serve up for dessert, you can’t beat this parfait snack. It’s filled with protein, fiber, and vitamins while being essentially fat free.  This is one dessert you can definitely feel good about having.

3 cups Greek yogurt
2 cups blueberries
2 cups sliced strawberries or raspberries

Chocolate shavings

Alternate layers of Greek yogurt and berries in individual serving sized bowls until you’ve formed 4-5 different layers.  Add some chocolate shavings on top and then serve. 

Mixed Greens Salad 

This lighter dish is perfect to accompany your main protein source and has a nice sweet taste to it, giving you a refreshing break from the usual salads you might be serving up.

3 cups mixed salad greens
½ cup alfalfa sprouts
½ cup blueberries
2 tbsp. dried cranberries
2 tbsp. slivered almonds
½ cup sliced strawberries
¼ cup olive oil
2 tbsp. raspberry vinegar

Combine together the salad greens, alfalfa sprouts, blueberries, and strawberries. In a separate bowl, mix together the olive oil and vinegar and then drizzle over the salad.  Toss and then sprinkle the almonds and cranberries on top. 

Pineapple Chicken Kabobs 

Finger food is always a hit at larger parties and these can’t be beat.  Filled with lean protein, vegetables, and just a hint of sweetness, you can’t go wrong with this dish. It’s easy to prepare and grill up so won’t take you away from the party for long.

1 ½ pounds boneless chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
15 oz. can unsweetened pineapple chunks
½ cup soy sauce
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. ginger
sprinkle of black pepper
1 large red pepper, sliced
1 cup mushrooms, halved
15 cherry tomatoes

Place chicken in a large dish and then drain the pineapple. Use ½ cup of the fluid from pineapple and mix with the soy sauce, vegetable oil, brown sugar, garlic powder, and ginger.  Cover the chicken with this mixture and marinade for up to three hours.

Once finished, remove the chicken and toss the vegetables in the marinade.  Let sit for 30 minutes.  Afterwards, place the chicken on the kabob sticks, alternating with the vegetables and pineapple. 

Place the kabobs on the grill and cook for 15-18 minutes or until crispy.

Serve alongside some brown rice.

Give any of these three recipes a try this Independence day and you will enjoy your celebration without having to worry about dieting come the start of the next week.