The Fourth of July is a time to celebrate America’s Independence Day with family and friends. Some people go out of town while others head to barbeques.
If you’re looking to throw a party or have been invited to one, I have a few quick and healthy dishes you can make.
Fruit Kabobs
Fruit Kabobs are a great snack on a hot summer day. They not only taste good, but are very nutritious. Some of the things I like to put on my fruit kabobs include grapes, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and melon. While apples and bananas are popular, I personally don’t like to use them because they turn brown quickly.
Shrimp on the Barbie
Cooking shrimp on the grill is another quick and simple food to have at your barbeque. I like to put my shrimp on a skewer or tin foil with some garlic powder and a little bit of lemon.
My advice is to cook on each side for two minutes or until the shells are hot pink. If you want to add some flavor use mango salsa.
Now this dish doesn’t have a lot of calories. If you make three ounces of shrimp, there are only 84 calories, 18 grams of protein and 2 grams of fat.
Mango Salsa
If you’re looking to add flavor to a dish then mango salsa is the way to go. Here is a recipe I like to follow.
- 1½ cups peeled chopped mangoes or peaches,
- 1 medium red sweet pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 medium yellow or green pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- ¼ cup thinly sliced green onions
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons, olive oil or cooking oil
- ½ teaspoons finely shredded lime peel
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1-tablespoon vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Makes 2 cups.
This is not only a great addition to the shrimp, but it tastes good on fish or any lean protein and tortilla chips.
Your own flavored water
We can’t forget about drinking something cool and refreshing with your meal. How about your own flavored water? I like adding some cucumber slices, a lemon or some lime to your water bottle to freshen it up a little and assure you stay hydrated!