Are you gearing up for a 4th of July celebration this weekend? The holiday is a perfect opportunity to gather family and friends together for a barbecue. Hopefully, after your holiday feast, you'll be able to catch an awesome fireworks display, too.

But you don't want your 4th of July food to blow up your healthy eating goals, do you? One of the more popular items on the menu for the weekend is probably BBQ chicken. But how many calories does that sweet, tangy, falling-off-the-bone barbecue favorite pack?

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Whether this weekend has you heading out or hosting your own celebration, you'll want to ring in the 4th of July with foods fit for good health and a stable scale. Here are some diet-safe and tasty dishes you might want to try.

• Kick off your event with Sun Dried Tomato Breadsticks. Just 67 calories and 1 gram of fat per serving.
• Need a super side? Our own Tanya Zuckerbrot offers this non-fattening Asian Slaw recipe, and one serving comes with only 51 calories and 1 gram of fat. Goes great with Tanya's Ahi Tuna Burgers, I bet.
• For a main meal, mix some lean meat with some antioxidant-rich fruit, whole wheat pasta, olive oil and a little lime zest, and you've got yourself a Chicken and Blueberry Pasta Salad. Stick with just one serving, and you'll use up just 315 calories.
• Every party needs a grand finale, and what's better than a red, white and blue dessert? Add a handful of blueberries and raspberries to a small bowl of low-fat, low-sugar vanilla frozen yogurt and watch the sparks fly. Or try this dessert that Jonny recommends: Eat blueberries right out of the freezer (mixed with frozen cherries), add some FAGE 2 percent yogurt, sprinkle with slivered almonds, flaked unsweetened coconut and some probiotic powder.

If you'd like more tips for slimming down your backyard BBQ, Kristen's got you covered.

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So, have you done your grocery shopping for the big cookout this weekend? Before you do, think about how comfortable you really are with blowing several days' worth of calories in one big, fatty meal. Since you're here, chances are good you'd rather keep the damage to a minimum. And no, lightening up your Fourth of July spread of food doesn't make you any less patriotic.

Want to cut some calories without sacrificing flavor? The video below has some great tips. We want to hear from you, too. Share your top tips for a slimmed-down barbecue in the comments!

Send us an email to reciperehab [AT] thatsfit [DOT] com to submit a recipe for a makeover!

Celebrity dietitian and motivational life coach Tanya Zuckerbrot, author of www.ffactordiet.com and founder of www.skinnyandthecity.com, has helped thousands of people lose weight and keep it off with her program. Her philosophy? Tanya believes you should never sacrifice taste, even when you're eating healthy foods.

Hot dogs and hamburgers typically take center stage at BBQs, but we all know that no BBQ would be complete without the side dishes. However, these seemingly innocent dishes are doing more damage to your waistline than you may realize. One cup of coleslaw weighs in at 370 calories and 20 grams of fat!

I've taken out the guilt, but not the flavor by creating this Asian Slaw Salad. This salad makes a great side to tuna or salmon burgers or can stand alone as an entree when topped with grilled chicken. Unlike most salad greens, cabbage stays crisp even with the dressing. This Asian Slaw Salad travels well so it's not only perfect for a BBQ, it can also be packed for a picnic or brown-bagged for lunch at the office.

Nothing says summer like a backyard barbecue. And nothing says summer weight gain like heavy potato salads, chips and dip and sugar-rich desserts. In fact, that plate full of food can set you back up to 2,000 calories.

Whether you're hostessing and want to serve up healthy sides to your guests or are bringing a dish so you know there's something you can enjoy without all the extra fat and calories, here are delicious and nutritious tips for your next BBQ:

• Use whole wheat pasta in your pasta salad and go heavy on the vegetables, light on the dressing.
• Grill angel food cake and serve up with fresh strawberries and low-cal whipped topping.
• Roll your corn on the cob in mixed herbs or with a dash of lime sauce, rather than butter.
• Go ahead and serve those baked beans, just skip the meat and add some extra vegetables. Or better yet, try a bean salad instead.
• Skip the dip and serve up fresh, crunchy veggies with salsa or hummus.

It's BBQ season, so if you're looking for more tips on how to make your grilling habits healthier, check out our posts on creative cookouts, grilling fruits and vegetables and good for you BBQs.

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So what are your plans for Labor Day? Frankly, the holiday sneaked up on me this year. What with back-to-school and work deadlines and other things I have on my mind, I completely forgot about it. My son and I will find something fun to do, though. We'll probably visit with family and maybe go to the BMX track (my son's favorite activity).

When making your Labor Day plans, keep health in mind. Some ideas:

• When grilling for your Labor Day BBQ, choose leaner cuts of meat and grill plenty of vegetables. You can also grill some fruits (peaches, plums, pineapple) for dessert. Remember to keep grilling safety in mind, too.
  
• Skip the chips and mayo-laden salads. Instead offer more healthful choices like veggie trays, yummy mixed green salads, and fruit salad.
• Plan some active time with family and friends. You can set up a volleyball net in the backyard, hold a basketball competition, or swim. Kids would also enjoy relay races and active games like red light, green light.
  
• Go on a Labor Day outing. Hike along a nature trail, bike on a rail trail, or visit a nearby beach (and don't just lay around -- swim and be active).

When I plan out meals for the week, I often look for ways to cut some corners on time. For example, if I'm going to brown ground turkey for lettuce wraps, I make sure to buy enough meat that I can reserve half of the browned meat for spaghetti or lasagna the next day. (If you're wondering about the lettuce wraps, I brown the meat, add teriyaki sauce and a little garlic, spoon the mixture into romaine leaves, and then top with shredded carrot -- delicious and healthy!)

Cooking Light has some ideas on how you can apply the "cook once, eat twice" principle to grilling. It's a great time saver and, when it comes to outdoor cooking, lighting up the grill only once for two meals is much better for the environment.

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This is one of those long weekends of summer that I truly look forward to. The county I live in has a fantastic fireworks show (the second largest display in our state, in fact). Plus it's just a great time to get together with family and friends. If you've got a 4th of July party to go to this weekend, consider bringing along a healthy and festive dish to pass. Some ideas:

• Blue corn chips and fresh salsa.
• A red, white, and blue veggie tray -- radishes, cauliflower, red pepper, purple pepper (it's close to blue anyway), cherry tomatoes, and so forth.
• Blueberries, strawberries, and star fruit make an all-American fruit salad
• Wrap turkey, tomato slices, low-fat cheese, and sprouts in blue corn tortillas -- cut them into small wedges for a tasty appetizer.

Lifescript has more ideas for healthy 4th of July foods.

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Here are some "kick butt" tips for keeping fit, active and regret free on the Fourth of July from KickYourButtIntoGear.com. As KickYourButtIntoGear.com is owned and managed by a fellow expert in the field of fitness, Exercise Physiologist, Tracy Benham ... the tips are awesome advice for you and you family to adhere to!

• Sports and summertime go together. Plan an activity early in the day. Play baseball, touch football; go to the local pool or beach.
• Get outside early and see if you can think of and do more than four activities before four o'clock to celebrate the Fourth.
• Eat a bowl of fruit before you head for the barbecue goodies. Tons of fruits are in season. Make a Fourth of July fruit cocktail. Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries...
• Use a plate. You will be less tempted to mindlessly snack.
• Skip the cheese and the Mayo on your burger and load up on lettuce tomatoes, pickles, onions and relish.
• Alternate cocktails and other caloric beverages with a glass of water. Or ... just avoid the high calorie beverages all together!

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Tomorrow is the Fourth of July and chances are you'll be celebrating with family, friends and a big ole' plate of food. But Independence Day doesn't have to mean diet disaster!

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We Canadians just finished celebrating our country's birth on July first, and you folks in the USA will be doing the same this coming July 4th. And chances are you'll be celebrating by spending time with friends and family at a barbecue, where you'll enjoy plenty of goodies and maybe even a few adult beverages. Now, there's nothing wrong with indulging every now and then, but if you're watching what you eat, it's a good idea to get informed and know how many calories you're ingesting.

What foods will you be enjoying at your 4th of July barbecue? One item that's a staple at many of the events I've been to is hot dogs. Juicy, covered in ketchup and served on a fresh bun, few things say 'barbecue' like a dog. But my Spidey senses tell me they're not the best nutritional value out there. What do you think?

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Summertime is both one of the easiest times to get in shape, thanks to motivational beach bikini's and outdoor-friendly weather, and one of the hardest, thanks to summer barbecues full of fattening buffet meals and sugary homemade desserts. So how can a person reap the benefits of warm weather, outdoor sports, and skimpy clothes without the downside of fattening foods and too much partying? One solution is to throw a barbecue or two yourself and make all the favorites (like coleslaw, potato salad, and baked beans) but make them healthier by leaving out the unnecessary fats and sugar. Nobody will even notice the difference, seriously!

Barbecue favorites, the healthy (and tasty!) way:

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There's just something about summertime that begs for food to be prepared on a grill. This summer, while grilling out, keep the environment in mind and make your barbeque a little greener:

• Often barbeques focus on the meat. But, when it comes to thinking green, meat production has a big impact on the environment. So, reduce the overall amount of meat you serve and make sure whatever meat you do grill was local, organic, and humanely-raised.
• Visit your farmer's market and buy some locally-grown organic veggies. Peppers, onions, zucchini, and summer squash are delicious when grilled. You can cut thick wedges, lightly brush them with olive oil, and grill. Or, skewer chunks of veggies and grill them like that. Corn is also great on the grill, but avoid the butter because it can really crank up the calories.
• Dice potatoes and grill them in a foil packet. You can also grill potatoes whole -- try a Yukon Gold sliced open and sprinkled with olive oil and rosemary. Thick wedges of sweet potato are also delicious on the grill.
• Serve a mixed greens salad topped with strawberries (all purchased from the farmer's market, of course).
  
• You can even grill fruit for dessert.
  

Your healthy -- and green -- feast is sure to be a hit with friends and family. Enjoy!

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