Have a Raw and Fruity Independence Day

If there’s one holiday I often forget, it’s the 4th of July.

Don’t get me wrong, I love America just as much as the next gal!  But is that really what the holiday is celebrated and remembered for?

No, not really.  It’s all really about fried foods, fireworks, and getting faced.

Well, I don’t care for fried ANYTHING anymore, I’m much too old for fireworks (okay, I still like fireworks), and I don’t even know what it’s like to be intoxicated!

So then what do you do if you’re obligated to attend a 4th of July bash?  Is there any way for a fit and fruity raw foodist to truly enjoy this hot summer holiday?

Fruit, Of Course!

In my opinion, the 4th of July is the easiest holiday to celebrate on a raw food diet because it occurs during the summer.  Think about it: The bigger and even more food-focused celebrations like Thanksgiving and Christmas go on when it’s frosty outside.

It’s definitely more difficult to enjoy a tepid fruit smoothie when everyone else is warming their innards with comforting cooked soups and casseroles.

Not a problem for the Fruity 4th of July.  There are just so many wonderful fruits available during this time of year:

• peaches
• nectarines
• mangoes
• blueberries
• cherries
• musk melon
• watermelon
• jakfruit
• lychees
• tomatoes
• zucchini
• yellow squash
• cucumber

The list is very long and very delicious.  And the list of raw recipes you can make with all these ingredients is even longer!

Here’s a great themed idea for all you creative types: You know how every year around this time there’s at least one magazine with an American flag made out of cake on the cover?  How about one made out of fruit!

Fresh Fruit Flag

Fresh Fruit Flag

*What You Will Need*

• Wooden skewers – 7 or 8 for each flag
• Strawberries – about 10 small strawberries for each flag
• Blueberries – about 20 for each flag
• Bananas – 2 medium bananas for each flag
• Lemon juice

*What To Do*

1. De-cap strawberries and slice in half (small strawberries) or quarters (large strawberries.) The key is to slice strawberries into uniform pieces so the skewers align.

2. Rinse strawberries and blueberries, then dry. Your preschooler can help with this step!

3. Peel bananas and cut into at least ½” slices. If the banana slices are too small, they tend to break apart when you put them on the skewers. Add a little lemon juice to the bananas so they do not brown.

Note: You can use apple slices instead of banana slices. Be sure to use lemon juice for apple slices as well.

4. Begin by creating the stars by threading about 5 blueberries onto a skewer. Slide the blueberries to the (non-pointy) end of the skewer. Repeat this for three more skewers.

5. Take each blueberry skewer and create four ‘stripes’ by adding one banana slice (lengthwise), one strawberry slice, one banana, and one strawberry. Repeat for each of the four blueberry skewers.

6. Create three more skewers of stripes by adding a strawberry first, then alternating bananas and strawberries until you have seven stripes total.

7. On a plate, arrange the skewers to create the flag.

Pretty cute, and clearly great for kids.  You could also use raspberries instead of strawberries and cubed coconut meat instead of bananas.  And I would put the fruit on toothpicks and stick them into a rectangle base for a fancier presentation.

And for all you lazy loafs like me: bring a fruit platter!  Just cut up your favorite seasonal fruits and arrange on a fancy plate.

A favorite combination of mine is peaches and blueberries.  Uber simple, but oh-so hard for anyone to resist…especially on a hot summer day.

Cooked Cravings

If you are new to a raw food diet and worried about cravings during the celebration, the best advice I can give is to eat beforehand.  And not just a few measly handfuls of leftover blueberries.  I mean an entire fruit meal.

If you’re good and full, you won’t have to worry about cravings one bit.  And if you are just a big worry wort, go ahead and take some sugary sweet, calorific dates along for extra insurance.

Actually, eating beforehand is good advice for all fruit eaters.  I know if I tried to bring a fruit flag without eating my meal beforehand, there would be nothing left but skewers by the time I arrived!

Happy July 4th (and a wonderfully raw weekend to all my non-American readers!),

Swayze