Holidays like the Fourth of July can be tricky for anyone trying to make healthy choices, so it’s important to balance your choices. Some choices – like grilling skinless chicken instead of a ground beef patty – may help you make progress towards your health and weight goals today. Other decisions – like staying out later than usual to watch fireworks – may seem like a short-term physical setback, but they can strengthen your foundation for longer-term success.
Here’s how my Fourth of July panned out – and it wasn’t entirely healthy!
Promises and Challenges of a Summer Holiday
The Fourth of July can feel so promising because of a day off of work, a general good mood around the household and neighborhood, and the prospect of attending local events. Our local opportunities include a pancake breakfast fundraiser in a community center parking lot, a local parade in which anyone can march or ride, a gathering at a park with doughnuts, watermelon, and community police who let children go into their cars, and a block party that includes a potluck, raffle, and kid-friendly activities. We’re lucky to have so much nearby!
It’s not all positive, though! First, most parents will tell you that holidays are challenging. There’s no school or summer camp, which means children are at home. Their company can be a delight, and they can inject excitement and joy into a holiday that may otherwise barely be a blip on the radar, but there’s no denying that it takes more energy to have a child at home than not.
Food is another July 4 challenge – it’s everywhere from parades to day-time and fireworks-watching potlucks and gatherings. You can easily consume thousands of calories from standard fare like the following.
- Fatty steaks, burgers, and hot dogs, and cheese and buns that come with them
- Potato salad, pasta salad, and coleslaw
- Mayonnaise, guacamole, hummus, and salad dressings
- Pies, cupcakes, brownies, and doughnuts
That’s before adding in calories from lemonade, sodas, and alcoholic beverages.
Other challenges to pursuing your health goals can include disruptions to your routine such as sleeping in instead of exercising, socializing instead of cooking, and watching fireworks instead of starting your bedtime routine.
Independence Day Food Opportunities and Strategies
Throughout the day, you’re likely to find nutritious or low-calorie choices like watermelon, corn on the cob, grilled chicken or veggie burgers, and raw vegetables. Load up your plate with these types of food!
Limit creamy salads like coleslaw and mayo-laden potato and pasta salad. Look for green salads, cowboy caviar with beans and vegetables, and other vibrant options like caprese salad or other light, vegetable-based dishes. Use Dijon or yellow mustard and a small amount of ketchup on burgers or veggie dogs.
If you’re going to a potluck, bring a dish or some components that are healthy.
- A fruit or vegetable platter, or berries, watermelon wedges, or baby carrots
- Skinless chicken or a package of lean ground turkey patties or veggie burgers to grill
- Light condiments like mustard and vinaigrette dressing
- A package of whole-grain hamburger or hot dog buns, or whole-grain tortillas or wraps
Drink plenty of water throughout the day. Bring your own full water bottle if you’re not sure that there will be water available.
More Tips for Better Physical and Mental Health on Independence Day
I had a wonderful Independence Day. A good deal of it was due to being a lucky parent. My parents were willing – as always when they’re in town! – to watch my son while I took time to run, shoot some hoops in the park, and have a few thoughts by myself.
Another stroke of luck is that my son is a marvelous child on special days like holidays. He is excited about events, and engaged and interested. That makes it easier to hang out with him, exhausting though it can be.
Another suggestion might be to keep perspective. It didn’t seem all that important to start food fights with my son; instead, we appreciated the special food. My hope is that he’ll learn to enjoy special food without guilt. I also want him to grow up without a sense of desperation to eat it all, as some adults develop because they’re afraid they won’t have another chance.
It also seemed more important to enjoy the block party with the neighbors than to worry about whether he was eating a doughnut. Everyone looks forward to it every year; we do, too. The abundance of food may not be the best for weight management in the moment, but the friendships and a sense of community come in handy throughout the year as we depend on each other during life’s ups and downs.
So, I would say this July 4 was a great time, I’m ready to eat healthy tomorrow, and I am grateful for all that I have – family, friends, and my neighborhood.
How do you find balance on July 4 and other holidays?
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