Healthy 4th of July popsicle recipes are easy to make and a great project to do with the kids. I count this as quality time with kids, rather than time in the kitchen. The possibilities are so endless and the end results so delicioso!

We made three kinds, but two of them had similar ingredients, so I scored 'cool mom' points, but didn't spend hours in the
kitchen!

This striped one was the most time consuming and you could just as easily have fun with only two stripes instead of three:)

This is a three step process, but it's so simple!

For the triple stripe popsicle pictured above, here's what I did:

1st Layer-
1 1/2 cups frozen mixed
berries
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp
stevia
1 cup water

Place ingredients in blender, blend well and pour into popsicle forms to fill 1/3 of each. Place wooden popsicle sticks into the mixture. You'll be pouring the following layers in around the stick. Freeze for about an hour.

2nd Layer-
Organic vanilla yogurt. Just pour some yogurt in to fill popsicle form 2/3 of the way full. Freeze for about an hour.

3rd Layer-
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 small peach
1/8 tsp stevia
1 cup water

Blend in blender until smooth and add to fill each popsicle mold. Freeze and enjoy!

Starburst Popsicles

I made the starburst popsicles with the leftover mixture from the 1st layer
above. Fill half of each popsicle form with the berry mixture. Use a funnel to
add organic vanilla yogurt to each to fill to the top. Place lid on and freeze.
 When these are done, you will have popsicles that are all white in the
center. Good way to make a creamsicle too! These are so simple and were a huge
hit with the kids.

Pina Colada Pops

These are my favorite! So easy.
Here's what I used:
1/4 cup coconut cream which I purchased in a can at Trader Joe's
1/2 cup frozen pineapples
1 banana
1 tsp vanilla
Throw it all in the blender and blend. Fill popsicle molds and freeze. Especially good on a hot, sunny day!

This is the guacamole that everyone goes nuts over. If you want to bring a raw, vegan healthy, side-dish to your 4th of July celebration, this one will be a hit.

Besides being super simple to make, it is delicious and pairs great with veggie sticks, making it a guiltless indulgence that will satisfy your taste buds as well as take care of your cravings for all that yummy holiday food. Remember, healthy fat makes you thin, it's all the processed foods and sugars that causes your body to hold onto the fat!

Maria’s Fresh Guacamole  

1 avocado

1 tablespoon minced onion

1 small clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon minced tomato

2 teaspoons fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Celtic or Himalayan salt to taste

Scoop flesh out of avocado skins. Place in bowl and add other ingredients. Mash ingredients together using a fork. Enjoy! Serve with jicama chips (just purchase a jicama, and slice it in the shape of chips.) or carrot, celery and cucumber slices.


Maria’s Simple Salsa

3 large, very ripe tomatoes (about two pounds), cored and diced small

½ cup tomato juice, freshly squeezed or canned or jarred.

1 small jalepeno or other fresh chile pepper, stemmed, seeded if desired, and minced

1 medium red onion, diced small

1 medium garlic clove, minced

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

½ cup juice from 4 medium limes

Celtic or Himalayan Salt to taste

Mix all ingredients, including salt to taste, in medium bowl.  Cover and refrigerate to blend flavors, at least 1 hour and up to 5
days.

A friend brought a similar salad to a potluck. Everyone raved about it and I helped myself to more than one serving!! It had the perfect harmony of flavors. She told me what was in it and I just had to make it the next day. This is a fabulous, delicious and healthy 4th of July recipe to bring to any party. It will surely be a hit, even to the non-health-conscious folks...the best of both worlds. You can sneak greens into your friend's lives and they'll still love you the next morning!! 

Even my girls who are not the most likely to eat a salad with anything dark green in it, loved it. 









Kale Salad, serves 6

Ingredients:

1 bunch kale 

1 teaspoon coarse salt, such as Celtic (amazing source of minerals)

1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 red apple, chopped ( I use Gala)

1/3 cup roasted and salted sunflower seeds

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 TBS red wine vinegar, preferably raw wine vinegar (inexpensive and excellent for your health!)

1 TBS raw honey, barely melted on very low heat. Honey is one of the most healing foods on the planet. If you heat it past 115 degrees F, it will lose much of it's healing properties. Raw honey is great to use on wounds because of it's antibacterial properties. My favorite brand is Honey Gardens Apothecary Honey.

1/8 tps stevia powder, optional (only add if you like the salad to be very sweet. I have not added this when I make it.)

1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Directions:

Wash and dry kale. Tear it off from the stalks in bite size pieces. (the stalks are bitter and hard to chew)
Place torn kale in a bowl. Add olive oil and salt and massage kale for 2 minutes until it softens considerably.

Add other ingredients except feta cheese, finishing with vinegar and honey. Mix very well until all of the salad is well coated with dressing. Offer feta cheese on the side for those who care for it as not all people love it:)




 




 

If you are a cupcake lover, you will be so thankful you tried this flourless chocolate cupcake recipe! I served these last summer and my husband liked them so much he asked me to bake them for his birthday! This is a great healthy desert to indulge in on the 4th of July when there is a plethora of less-than-healthy options.





What you will need:

1 cup of almond butter ( I use Trader Joe's Brand)

2 medium zucchini, chopped.

1/3 cup of raw honey or Whole Cane sugar (Rapadura)

1 egg for brownies, 3 eggs for cupcakes

1 tsp of vanilla 

½ tsp Celtic or Himalayan salt

1 tsp of baking soda 

1 tsp of cinnamon 

1/8 tsp stevia

1 cup of dark chocolate chips. I used gluten free chocolate chips. Alternatively,
use ½ cup cocoa powder.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all the ingredients into a blender and mix everything together.
Pour into a greased 9x9 baking pan. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
If making cupcakes, pour into cupcake baking cups in muffin tin and bake for 25 minutes.

Looking for great, healthy recipes for the 4th of July?
Have I got some to share with you!
This one is from Elana Amsterdam's new book, Paleo Cooking.
My sister Lisa shared it and it looks so good I thought it was perfect for sharing
in my 4th of July Healthy Recipes series.

Avocado Kale Salad
Ingredients:

1 bunch of kale (remove leaves from stems), sliced crosswise
into 1/4 inch strips
2 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 very ripe avocado- diced into 1-inch cubes
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper;
1/4 tsp Celtic or Himalayan salt.
 
Instructions:

In a large bowl, combine the kale, olive oil,
and lemon juice. Use your hands to massage the ingredients together until the
kale is tender. Massage the avocado into the salad with your hands until it is
completely mashed and mixed into the salad. Spinkle with the pepper and salt,
toss to combine and serve. Cheers to a delicious, healthy salad!