H&W: A 4TH TO FEEL GOOD ABOUT

Holidays can be hell on a diet. Whether it’s endless cookies at Christmas, the whole Thanksgiving spread, or sweets from your sweetie on Valentine’s Day, it seems like there’s always an abundance of temptation surrounding the celebration. The 4th of July is one of those events that might be unexpectedly hard to navigate because it’s not necessarily top of mind as a “foodie” holiday, but the majority of the time, your meal is at the mercy of your host and/or whoever is manning the grill. But that doesn’t mean you should sit out Independence Day! With just a few mindful choices and alternative options, you can conquer the cookout – and might even bank some brownie points while you’re at it!

First and foremost, the cardinal rule for keeping yourself on track is to be mindful of what you put in your mouth. Try to stick to these tricks at your Independence Day events.

HEAVY ON THE H20!

This tip is multifaceted in its benefits. First of all, y’all know it’s hotter than Hades out there, and nothing is going to do your body good quite like some good old-fashioned water. It will help keep you healthily hydrated, but it also slows down your snacking by helping you feel full.

SKIP THE CHIPS

This one is so, so hard for us personally – we are suckers for salty snacks of any sort – but we’ve learned that once we start, it’s hard for us to stop (sometimes we don’t even realize we’re reaching for another handful!) and so we’ve decided our most effective plan of attack is to avoid that area of the table entirely! Try satisfying that salty craving with something like pickles or olives.

MIND YOUR BUNS

The 4th of July is famously a hamburger/hotdog holiday and that inherently implies bread – but it doesn’t have to. You can still indulge in those cookout classics, just skip the bun! Not only does it cut out the carbs, you also tend to load less on your burger or dog.

Another idea we encourage is to supply snacks you feel good about. Whether you’re hosting or going to be a guest, why not provide something yummy that won’t make you feel yucky.

Watermelon Salad

This is amazingly easy and unbelievably refreshing! A go-to snack for all summer long.

Sugar-Free Popsicles

If you feel like getting extra-fancy and making your own fruit popsicles, awesome, but we promise you’ll be just as popular if you pop some store-bought in the freezer. We love these and these.

Fruit Flag Cake

Ok, ok, full disclosure, this one isn’t a low-cal option… but, it is a FOREVER 4th of July favorite. It’s fun and festive and at least it has fruit! Just be sure to mind your portions and try to compensate for the extra cals.

Of course, food isn’t the only focus for having a happy and healthy Independence Day! Please, please, please:

• DO drink responsibly and DON’T drink and drive
• Wear your lifejacket if you plan to celebrate on a big body of water
• Exercise the UTMOST caution when it comes to all things explosive or ignitable