Healthy 4th of July Recipes

This Independence Day, celebrate your liberation from high-fat foods by cooking with low-fat 4th of July recipes. There's no need to sacrifice tradition to keep yourself and your family healthy. Whether you're hosting a barbeque, attending a potluck, or having a picnic, here are some great low-fat recipe ideas for your 4th of July festivities!

The calories and fat in condiments can really creep up on you. Make your own low-fat or fat-free dip to have with chips, and low-fat salad dressing to have with fresh greens. Tasty low-fat dips will inspire you to eat more veggies before the meal begins, leaving you less hungry for other higher-calorie dishes.

For main dishes, try a low fat casserole, or low fat mac and cheese, which can be made ahead of time to save yourself stress--especially if you're having guests. Go for a lean protein like fish or chicken. Fried chicken is a classic food often found at 4th of July gatherings, but you can make a baked breaded chicken recipe for a fraction of the fat, but all that American flavor, or grill some marinated chicken on the barbeque. Leftovers will make great sandwiches or chicken salads.

A great 4th of July dessert recipes will impress your guests and your taste buds alike! Using fresh fruit (in reds, whites, and blues), along with low-fat pudding or ice cream will cut the heat and bring the meal to a healthy close. After cooking all day, you may want to capitalize on a quick, easy fat free dessert, but if you're feeling more ambitious, nothing beats a low-fat fruit pie.

As always, no matter what you're eating, the key is to be mindful of your portions, and be sure you're covering all the food groups. Remember, holidays should be a time for fun and family, not for stress and obsession. Enjoy your 4th of July!