From succulent salads to ooey gooey gluten free chocolate chip cookies to fresher than fresh fruit…there just may be a recipe in this post to tickle your fancy…
Ever wonder what a dietitian, a fitness coach, a wellness practitioner, or just a super fit foody brings to the BBQ? While moderation is important, discovering a healthy yet just as satisfying edition of a high calorie dish will save you in the long run. Big time. I hope you enjoy and re-create any one of these nutritionally-pleasing, tastebud-tickling recipes for your next summer party! I chose to share a neutral dish, dessert, and salad.
American “Fruit” Flag
ITEMS: Small square bowl Large rectangular plate
INGREDIENTS:
Organic Blueberries
Watermelon
Feta cheese square chunks OR pineapple (depending on your sweet or salty tastebuds)
DIRECTIONS: Load the square bowl with the washed blueberries Lay horizontal lines of the watermelon chunks and feta or pineapple chunks Stick toothpicks in the dish, or bring a cute holder to leave next to the plate!
Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies (gluten-free)
Clearly, I must have been distracted while whipping up the batch pictured above. But I had to display this photo for pure humor. However, I do promise you that the next batch came out looking and tasting picture perfect, but they were gobbled up way too fast by my surroundings before I snapped a pic. Just take my word for it!
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup of gluten free rolled oats
1 1/4 cups of gluten free oat flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill)
3/4 cup of Dark chocolate chips
1 1/4 cups of pure almond milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
Sea salt
DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend all ingredients in a large mixing bowl (placing chocolate chips in last). Use organic coconut oil cooking spray to spread evenly across cookie sheet. Plop 2 inch balls of dough onto cookie sheet. Let cookies bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until edges are slightly browned. *For extra oomph: very lightly, and quickly, sprinkle sea salt over the top of the dough balls. Gooey, sweet, AND salty? Yes please!
Sammie’s Summer Salad
These are my favorite ingredients both for taste and nutrition and mixed into one big bowl. Anyone notice a few SUPERFOODS in this mix??
INGREDIENTS:
Spinach and butter lettuce
Organic strawberries
Organic apples
Chopped walnuts
Goat cheese
Organic grape tomatoes
Flaxseeds
Organic green beans
Organic coconut oil
DIRECTIONS: Slice the strawberries, apples, and tomatoes into less than 1 inch pieces. Drizzle with coconut oil. *Go very light with dressing. the salad ingredients are delicious enough and you don’t want to mask them!
Hope your tastebuds dance just as much as mine with these easy summer recipes! Not only will your waistline love you, but the party guests will be just as impressed with your secretly healthy dish! 
Cheers to summer, bonfires, beach, and pedicures 🙂