getfitnaturally: Happy Independence Day!

This is a day of celebration! We need to spend time with family and friends, eating, drinking and being merry! We don’t want to be totally obsessed with calories, but we don’t want to totally go overboard either – so here are some healthier versions of some old favorites. For some reason, I like to go old-school for the July 4^th holiday. My menu will consist of lean hamburgers, potato salad, grilled veggies, and watermelon.

What will you be having?

Healthier Potato Salad Recipe

By the editors of FITNESS magazine (I modified their version slightly by omitting sweet red pepper and adding sugar)

Makes: 6 servings

Ingredients

4 medium potatoes (about 1 1/3 pounds)

2/3 cup low-fat mayonnaise (I will use an olive oil based mayo)

1 stalk celery, thinly sliced (1/2 cup)

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 tablespoon yellow mustard

1 teaspoon cider vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 hard-cooked egg, coarsely chopped

1 tsp. sugar (optional)

Directions

1. Wash potatoes and cut into 1-inch cubes, leaving skin on. In a covered saucepan, boil potatoes in enough water to cover for 20 to 25 minutes or until just tender. Drain well.

2. In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, celery, green pepper, onion, mustard, vinegar, salt, and black pepper.

3. Add potatoes and egg to mayonnaise mixture. Toss lightly to mix. Cover and chill in the fridge at least 6 hours (or up to 24).

Nutrition facts (per 1/2-cup serving): 131 calories, 3g protein, 25g carbohydrate, 3g fat (0g saturated), 2g fiber

Veggie Kabobs with Herb and Garlic Marinade

Modified version from the Food Network. See original recipe here

1 cup red, yellow or green bell pepper chunks

1 cup pineapple chunks

1 cup red onion chunks

1 cup white button mushrooms

1 cup zucchini or yellow squash chunks

1 cup cherry tomatoes

Marinade, recipe follows

Wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes

Directions

Let cool and cut into 1-inch chunks. Place the vegetables in a shallow dish or container. Pour marinade over vegetables. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Preheat an outdoor grill to medium heat.

Remove vegetables from the marinade, reserving marinade. Thread vegetables onto skewers, alternating colors. Cook skewers on grill until vegetables are lightly charred all over, about 10 minutes, basting with reserved marinade and turning occasionally.

Marinade:

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup lemon or lime juice

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl. The marinade can be prepared in advance and held covered in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

Some other recipes that sound delish: