Healthy 4th of July Cookout

Each year, families and friends gather around the grill to enjoy some sunshine and celebrate America’s birthday on the Fourth of July. The traditional cookout typically hosts burgers, dogs and a mixture of convenient and pre-made sides and dessert. The average ¼ pound burger on a bun comes with 439 calories, 23 g of fat, 613 mg sodium and 83mg of cholesterol. That does not even include the add-ons that you put on your burger like cheese, chili, lettuce, pickles, condiments and so on! It is safe to say that a burger is not exactly the most cholesterol conscious or heart friendly choice. As for the dogs-though they are normally less calorically dense as compared to their burger counterpart, they still come with their own health concerns. Among the commonly found chemicals and additives in a hotdog is hormones, antibiotics, nitrates, MSG and high fructose corn syrup just to name a few. So when you weigh the burger to dog options out you may actually realize that it would be best to opt for healthier, yet equally tasty meal options. Here are a few ideals to get you started!