Fourth of July is right around
the corner—and it’s time to declare your independence from carb-laden creations
such as potato salad, baked beans, bread (hamburger and hot dog buns), chips,
cookies, cake and more. When you focus on protein, healthy fats and fiber-rich
vegetables and selected fruits or whole grains, you eliminate spikes and slumps
in your blood sugar while losing weight and keeping it off. Here’s how to truly
enjoy the holiday while staying on track with your weight-loss goals. Even
better? Fireworks have no carbs!
Stay hydrated. It’s easy to mistake thirst for hunger,
especially during the hot summer months. Make sure you begin your Fourth of
July celebration fully hydrated. Keep a water bottle with you, or, if you are
hosting, make sure you have plenty of water on hand for your guests. It can be
as simple as filling a cooler with bottles of water, or providing pitchers of
water and cut up lemons, limes or cucumbers for flavor.
Be smart about sides. Very often, it’s those sneaky side
dishes that weigh in heavily on the carbs. Summer is the perfect time to enjoy
all varieties of fresh vegetables, which are naturally low in carbs. Veggie
platters, grilled vegetables (sprinkle your choice of leeks, asparagus, squash,
bell peppers, zucchini, red onions or eggplant with salt and pepper and olive
oil and grill until tender) and salads sprinkled with fresh herbs like mint,
basil and cilantro add color and bright flavor to the festivities.
Grilling is great. Hamburgers, steaks, chicken and fish can
easily be the stars of your celebration.
Bring some smart snacks. It’s very likely you may celebrating
the Fourth at a pool, beach, on a boat or at a park. Bring along some low-carb
snacks that you can nibble on during the day to keep your appetite in check,
like a few portions of almonds, cedar and or kale chips, a couple Atkins bars
or a package of jerky.
Share the low-carb love. Your friends and family will be
impressed with the many tasty low-carb recipes perfect for any 4th
of July celebration.
Start off with some delicious and easy appetizers
and side dishes:
Fresh Mozzarella Salad with Pesto Vinaigrette
Showcase a delicious main course or two:
Lemony Chicken, Shrimp and Vegetable Kebabs
And last, but not least, a red, white
and blue dessert is the grand finale!
