I posted my reflections from the Fourth, talking about balancing healthy food and activity choices with the just-as-critical need for socialization, fun, and relaxation that can recharge you for the coming weeks and months. Today, let’s keep it light-hearted with a run-down of the food and beverages at the potluck I attended.
It was an afternoon block party with 100’s of attendees from the neighborhood. The hosts asked attendees to bring something to share. Unlike at many potlucks, there were no guidelines on what to bring, or who should bring items in various categories like beverages, appetizers, proteins, sides, desserts, condiments, and tableware. We did all know that there was a grill, and that it was a casual event.
Spoiler alert: it worked out beautifully!
Setting the Scene
When my son and I arrived, we went straight to the food tables to drop off our contributions. As I had asked my mom to bake and bring a dessert, my son and I felt free to be lazy. We brought a package of napkins, a bottle of light ranch salad dressing, a bottle of honey mustard, and a can of whipped topping. There turned out to be a large bowl of fruit including berries, grapes, and tangerines, making the whipped topping look ideal.
There were 4 long tables with food and tableware, about 6 coolers filled with alcoholic and kid-friendly beverages, and a table with ice and more beverages. The tables were vaguely organized with plates, napkins, and plastic ware first, followed by items related to grilled foods, followed by sides, desserts, and finally beverages. It was all refreshingly casual and hands-off – you were free to put your food down and take whatever you wanted whenever you wanted.
The Food at the Fourth of July Block Party and Potluck
So what was there? Pretty much everything was there. People had brought raw proteins, including hot dogs, beef burger patties, and even salmon. There were also pans of cooked proteins, including pigs in blankets and chicken drumsticks. Hot dog, hamburger, and brioche buns were abundant, as were condiments from ketchup, pickles, and relish to several different types of mustard. Our honey mustard fit right in.
There were more meatballs than you might see at a typical event, probably because the day’s cookoff item was meatballs. Merguez meatballs with a side of cooked carrots, meatballs with tomato sauce, and meatballs with pickles were a few varieties. They all looked delicious, suitable for a contest, and made with a good amount of fatty beef or pork.
Next up were side dishes. It looked like a lot of people put their hearts into their homemade recipes. Salad examples were salmon and pea rotini salad, spaghetti salad, tomato balsamic salad with mushrooms, chopped basil, and mozzarella balls, and a few kinds of coleslaw, none of which contained mayonnaise. There were also various 7-layer bean dips.
There was even a simple vegetable tray that had home-cut vegetables, which is a rare sight these days. It had red and yellow bell pepper strips, rainbow baby carrots, Persian cucumber spears, and celery sticks. I helped myself to quite a bit, and enjoyed the honey mustard I’d brought with the vegetables.
Desserts included two beautiful pumpkin loaves from my mom, sliced into appropriately-sized pieces. One loaf had a chocolate swirl topping. Other desserts were cheesecake bars topped with berries, watermelon wedges, and brownies.
The beverage selection was quite a treat! There was alcohol of all descriptions. There was homemade lemonade – a 5-gallon container that must have taken forever for someone to make – as well as a 5-gallon pitcher of ice water infused with strawberries and mint. Cans of sparkling water, ouches of juice drinks, and sodas were also there, along with plenty of ice.
My son and I weren’t the only ones to bring store-bought items. The other store-bought items that we saw had also been chosen carefully and given with love. Classic mayo-laden potato salad, sliced cheese for the burgers, bags of potato chips, tubs of hummus and guacamole, large chocolate chunk cookies, boxes of doughnuts, and red, white, and blue star cookies are a few examples.
How Anyone Can Make Healthy Choices
Here’s what I focused on, though I probably still ate more than I needed.
- Raw vegetables. They were so fresh and good!
- Pickles. I don’t usually buy pickles because I don’t need the extra sodium, but I do love pickles.
- Tomatoes and mozzarella balls sitting in balsamic vinaigrette. They were halved grape tomatoes, and absolutely delicious.
- A few goodies from my son’s plate. Isn’t that what kids are for? I think we all know that when you eat from your child’s plate, the calories, sugar, and fat don’t count…
- Strawberry and mint-infused ice water was a beautiful, refreshing, and healthy touch.
What Do Americans Eat on July Fourth?
I can only tell you my experience, but it is a sample size of hundreds of families. Here’s what I found.
- Burgers and hot dogs with all the fixings
- Coleslaw, pasta salad, and potato salad
- Watermelon and other fresh fruit
- Sugary drinks, alcoholic drinks, and low-calorie drinks
- Desserts, and more desserts
- Chips, vegetables, and dip
Conclusions: as with most other situations, you can eat healthy, eat terribly, or do something in between.
What did you eat this Independence Day?
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