Celebrate the Fourth of July with these Healthy Barbecue Recipes

Barbecues are a time to enjoy friends, family and food. This doesn’t mean that every nutritional lesson you’ve learned needs to take a back seat.  Healthy food can be fun too. Yes, it’s true. Try these Black Bean Burgers spiced up with Cayenne pepper, Cumin and topped with creamy avocado and salsa at your next barbecue.  Add a side of Grilled Tomatillo and Corn Salad to really impress your guests, and have a very Happy and Healthy 4th of July. Do you have a favorite, healthy barbecue recipe? Please share it with us on Facebook.

Black Bean Burgers

Ingredients

1 (20 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup yellow onion, diced
1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced
1/2 tsp. Cumin
1/2 tsp. ground Cayenne pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 Cup seasoned gluten free bread crumbs
1/2 Cup fresh chopped Spinach
2 Tbsp. coconut oil

salsa, to garnish
avocado, to garnish
Gluten Free Hamburger Buns (optional)
Lettuce for wrapping Burgers (optional)

Directions:  

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a food processor, add all ingredients up to coconut oil and process until mixture forms a smooth consistency. It will be very moist. For easier handling, refrigerate for 15 minutes, and then form into four patties.
3. Heat coconut oil in large skillet, add patties and brown on both sides. Transfer to lightly greased baking pan or dish.
4. Bake for 10 minutes. Serve with garnishes, and enjoy.

Grilled Tomatillo and Corn Salad

Ingredients

5 – 6 med/large tomatillos

5 – 6 ears of fresh corn

1 lime

1/4 cup olive oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions

Peal papery skin from tomatillos and soak in a bowl of cold water to remove sticky coating. Dry with paper towel and cut them in half. Brush with olive oil or coconut oil and salt and pepper them. Shuck and clean the corn of all silk. Grill corn until charred and tomatillos until the skins begin to wrinkle. Remove from grill and allow to cool until they can be handled. Cut corn off of cob and dice each tomatillo half into quarters. Toss in a large bowl with the juice of one lime and a handful of chopped cilantro. Taste for salt and pepper and add more if needed.

Dr. James Prood­ian is an accomplished chiropractic physician and health educator who founded Proodian Healthcare Family of Companies to help people feel better, function better, and live longer. His expertise for the past two decades has been in physical rehabilitation, and he has successfully established himself as a spinal specialist. In his practice, he advocates the science of functional medicine, which takes an integrative approach to treating patients by addressing their physical, nutritional, and psychological needs. Alarmed by the escalation of complex, chronic illness in our country, Dr. Proodian has been speaking to companies and organizations through his “Wellness at Work” program since 1994, motivating thousands of people to make positive lifestyle choices and lead healthier, more productive lives. He can be heard weekly on his radio program, “Proodian Healthcare By Design,” on Tandem Radio.