Heather Little-White, Contributor

With the talk of dual citizenship doing the rounds, whether or not you are an American citizen, celebrating Fourth of July can be a splendid affair. It is summertime's greatest celebration, with fireworks and feasting, through picnics and barbecues with family and friends.

The White House

Food is central to any Fourth of July celebration, primarily through the great outdoors feasting fun barbecue which gives people a chance to show off their culinary skills. You may want to take your cue from President Obama, who hosted a barbecue at the White House for young men from local schools to highlight the importance of fatherhood and mentorship in their families and their communities. Obama brought in the grill king, Bobby Flay, of the Food Network to add excitement to the day's activities. (USA Today)

TIPS FOR PREPARING FOR THE BARBECUE

Secure the grill. Make sure you have enough grill space to prepare food from all the guests. Although electronic grills are ideal, you may need a portable one for outdoors adventures. You may also make sturdy grills from bricks.

Ensure that you have sufficient coal or wood to last the day.

Let everyone share in the cooking. It relieves the pressure from one person.

Ensure you have adequate amounts of snacks while the grill is going.

Fill the menu with chips, dips, fruit and salads.

Marinate meats to be grilled ahead of time to add flavour and moisture.

Fish cooks easy on the barbecue and packs in good nutrition. Be careful not to overcook so that it does not dry out.

Seasoned foil-wrapped vegetables cook well on the grill and retain flavour.

Keep ingredients chilled before cooking and cover food to protect it from flies and other insects.

Keep foods with eggs and mayonnaise secured from the heat to prevent food poisoning.

Hamburgers

Outdoor barbecues are easy to prepare and usually involve hamburgers and hot dogs. Hamburgers are synonymous with Fourth of July celebrations. Chopped or ground beef has long been used to make hamburgers. The term hamburger is derived from the city in Germany with the original Hamburg steak, a piece of meat pounded until tender.

Dr James Salisbury created chopped beef patties and he advocated eating beef three times a day for a healthy constitution. The hamburger evolved to ground meat, seasoned and grilled. Cheese became a popular topping as far back as 1938. Hamburgers on a bun are popular in America with the average American consuming three burgers per week (About.com)

Sides and Beverages

A traditional side dish for Independence Day celebrations includes potato salad, potato chips, vegetable trays, baked beans and corn on the cob.

Beverages include large bottles of soda, chilled and served in cups. Beer is popular and guests may be asked to bring their own alcoholic beverage (BYOB). Lemonade is so refreshing for the summer heat. The secret to making perfect lemonade is to start by making a sugar syrup. Dissolving the sugar in hot water effectively disperses the sugar in the lemonade preventing it from sinking to the bottom.

OLD-FASHIONED LEMONADE

Simple syrup (recipe below)

Juice of 6 freshly squeezed lemons

4 cups cold water

1 sliced lemon for garnish

Ice cubes

Method

Prepare simple syrup in advance and refrigerate.

In a large pitcher, combine lemon juice and sugar and cold syrup. Add water, lemon slices and ice cubes, stirring until well blended. Serve in tall glasses over ice.

Simple syrup

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup water

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and water. Boil for 5 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat and let cool before using. Store in refrigerator.

Source: WhatscookingAmerica.com

In setting up for the barbecue, lay the table with linen laced with red, white and blue ribbons and use balloons and streamers in the colours to let the spirit of the American Independence Day dominate.

Heather Little-White, PhD, is a nutrition and lifestyle consultant in the Corporate Area. Send comments to saturdaylife@gleanerjm.com.