| Dialysis | Kidney disease | Patient stories | Transplant

Last Minute, Kidney-Friendly 4th of July Recipes

July 03, 2023, 11:52am EDT

Group of friends setting a table for 4th of July party

Are you in need of some quick and easy recipes for your Fourth of July celebration? Look no further than these delicious kidney-friendly dishes.

Jump to recipe

1. Chicken salad

2. Green bean bundles

3. Potluck potatoes 

4. Yogurt-Covered Fruit Salad

5. Fresh pineapple with strawberry lemon thyme sorbet

1. Chicken salad

Chicken salad wrapped in lettuce

This delicious and easy-to-make recipe is perfect for a picnic or even as a quick, healthy snack. Your guests will love the juicy grapes, crisp apples, and tender chunks of chicken all tossed together with a tangy mayo dressing. 

Serving size: ½ cup

Ingredients

  • Two cans of canned chicken packed in water
  • ½ cup grapes
  • Two green onions
  • 3 tbsp light mayonnaise
  • Two medium Gala apples
  • 1 tbsp sugar

Directions

  1. Rinse and drain cans of chicken.
  2. Cut grapes in half.
  3. Chop green onions.
  4. Core and chop apples.
  5. Mix all ingredients.
  6. Allow to rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour before serving.

The chicken salad can be paired with white bread or low-sodium crackers.

Get the full recipe and nutrition information.

2. Green bean bundles

green bean bundles on plate

Serving size: 4 bundles

These bacon-wrapped green bean bundles are low in salt but high in flavor and are sure to be a hit with everyone.

Ingredients

  • One can cut green beans with no added salt
  • Ten strips of turkey bacon
  • 1 tbsp + ¼ tsp brown sugar
  • Two tbsp chopped onion

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Cut bacon in half.
  3. Wrap five green beans in each half of the turkey bacon.
  4. Top each bundle with 1/8 teaspoon brown sugar.
  5. Cook for 20 minutes or until turkey bacon is cooked through, and enjoy.

Get the full recipe and nutrition information.

3. Potluck potatoes

Bowl of potato hash

If you're a fan of comfort food but want to keep things healthy, this delicious and easy casserole recipe is just what you need. 

Serving size: 1/12th of the recipe

Ingredients

  • 1½ lb shredded hash browns
  • ½ cup of diced onions
  • ½ cup shredded zucchini
  • ½ cup thinly sliced bell peppers
  • One tsp of pepper
  • ¼ tsp of salt
  • ¾ pint of non-fat sour cream
  • 1½ cups of low-fat cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • One tbsp of flour
  • 2 cups Corn Flakes or another corn-flake-based cereal 
  • A few squirts of butter-flavored cooking spray

Directions

  1. Combine flour with a little salt-free butter on low heat, then mix it with the chicken broth.
  2. Mix all the other ingredients and place them in a glass baking dish.
  3. Ingredients should be at room temperature.
  4. Topping: Crush two cups of Kellogg corn flakes, and mix in a separate bowl with butter-flavored cooking spray.
  5. Then spread it on the mixture.
  6. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Get the full recipe and nutrition information.

4. Yogurt-covered fruit salad

Bowl of yogurt covered fruit

Satisfy your sweet tooth without the added sugar with this colorful and flavorful fruit salad.

Serving size: ⅓ cup
Ingredients

  • One medium delicious apple with skin
  • Ten green grapes
  • 4 oz mandarin oranges in light syrup, drained
  • ½ cup fresh pineapple chunks
  • ⅓ cup dried cranberries, cherry flavored
  • 6 oz strawberry flavor Greek yogurt
  • Six large strawberries

Directions

  1. Wash the apple, grapes, and strawberries.
  2. Pat dry.
  3. Chop the apple into bite-size pieces.
  4. Slice strawberries.
  5. Mix apples, grapes, Mandarin oranges, pineapple, dried cranberries, and yogurt.
  6. Cover and chill for 2 hours.
  7. Garnish with sliced strawberries and serve.

Get the full recipe and nutrition information.

5. Fresh pineapple with strawberry lemon thyme sorbet

Sorbet in a fancy glass

This sorbet is a refreshing and flavorful way to beat the summer heat! Don’t be surprised if it goes quickly–you may want to make a double-batch!

Serving size: 1 cup

Ingredients

  • 2 cup Strawberries
  • ⅛ cup Orange Juice
  • 1 cup Water
  • ⅛ cup Lemon Juice - Fresh
  • 30 oz Pineapple - Fresh Or Canned In Juice
  • 8 oz Thyme (Fresh)
  • 1 cup sugar

Directions

  1. For Lemon Thyme Simple Syrup, Mix water and sugar in a saucepan, bring water and sugar to a boil, turn down the heat to a slow simmer so that the bubbles break the surface, and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and steep lemon thyme sprigs in the syrup as it cools to room temperature. Strain the sprigs and keep them refrigerated for up to 4 weeks.
  2. Add strawberries and ½ cup lemon-thyme simple syrup in a food processor and process until smooth.
  3. Add the other ½ cup of simple syrup, orange, and lemon juice.
  4. Mix and pour into ice-cube trays.
  5. Freeze.
  6. When frozen, remove cubes into the food processor, mix thoroughly, and enjoy.

Get the full recipe and nutrition information.

Find the perfect recipe

View our kidney superfoods or get more kidney-friendly recipes.

Related content