Healthy 4th of July Appetizer Recipes

Sweet, smoky and savory, these sausage appetizer bites are a cinch to throw together at the last minute. Just throw some smoked sausage on the grill, slice and toss with the fresh homemade raspberry barbecue sauce for the ultimate crowd-pleaser.

These eggs are perfect for a picnic because they're so portable. Instead of cutting them in half lengthwise, we just cut the tops off so they can stand upright in an egg carton for easy filling, transport and storage. We swapped in Greek yogurt for the traditional mayo to save calories.

Dried herbs and crushed garlic dress up your favorite olives.

Deviled eggs are a perennial potluck favorite. Our recipe replaces some of the egg yolks with nonfat cottage cheese--keeping the filling velvety and rich while reducing some of the fat. No one will know the difference.

Try this light spinach dip made healthier with reduced-fat cream cheese, nonfat yogurt and low-fat cottage cheese instead of full-fat cheese, mayonnaise and sour cream. It will save you a whopping 84 calories and 10 grams of fat per serving when compared to traditional versions. Serve it with pita chips and crunchy vegetables or spread it on a sandwich.

For a Southwestern twist, this healthy deviled egg recipe is flavored with smoky chipotle pepper and tangy green chiles. To keep calories in check, we swapped out half the full-fat mayo for nonfat Greek yogurt.

Vinegary hot sauce, such as Frank's Red Hot, gives this healthy deviled egg recipe great Buffalo-style flavor. To keep calories in check, we swapped out half the full-fat mayo for nonfat Greek yogurt.

For fun twist, this healthy deviled egg recipe is flavored with Korean chile paste and kimchi. To keep calories in check, we swapped out half the full-fat mayo for nonfat Greek yogurt.

For an Italian twist, this healthy deviled egg recipe is flavored with capers and Parmesan cheese. To keep calories in check, we swapped out half the full-fat mayo for nonfat Greek yogurt.

We love the taste of dill relish in the filling of this deviled egg recipe, but if you like a sweeter deviled egg‚ opt for sweet relish instead. Our secret to healthy, creamy deviled eggs with fewer calories is to swap out half the full-fat mayo for nonfat Greek yogurt.

This basic deviled egg recipe will please purists--no relish here! Our secret to healthy, creamy deviled eggs with fewer calories: swap half the full-fat mayo for nonfat Greek yogurt. Garnish with paprika, plain or smoked, for a pretty presentation.

These shrimp appetizers are simple yet full of flavor. Just top melba toasts with a bit of cream cheese, a cooked shrimp and dollop of pepper jelly. Look for pepper jelly near other jellies and jams--it has a tiny bit of heat that gives these some extra pizzazz!

Plenty of black beans, salsa and chopped fresh vegetables mean a healthy amount of dietary fiber in this Tex-Mex layered dip. We use reduced-fat sour cream along with full-fat (and full-flavored) cheese to make the dip lighter without compromising great taste. Be sure to have lots of baked tortilla chips on hand when you serve it.

Marinating olives in aromatic herbs and a touch of lemon zest is an ideal way to enhance their flavor. Throughout the Mediterranean, bowls of them are routinely set out as appetizers or as a simple lunch with bread and perhaps some cheese or fruit. While a selection of olives of varying sizes, colors and cures is the most interesting, you can also simply use the one or two kinds most readily available.

These tangy hard-boiled eggs are a snap to make. Sliced in half, the fuchsia “white” surrounding the bright yellow yolk is dazzling. Wrap some egg slices and onions in a flatbread for an impromptu snack.

Portobello caps make excellent mini casseroles. Here, they hold a tomato, cheese and olive stuffing that grills up to a smoky perfection. Serve them with whole-wheat couscous and a mixed green salad for an easy meal.

These wraps should be served with lots of condiments: kimchee, for sure, but also nonfat yogurt and shredded carrots dressed with rice vinegar. Serve the various components of the dish separately and let your family or guests build their own wraps to taste.

Fresh green soybeans, called edamame or sweet beans, are a great addition to this classic American dish, where they stand in for the traditional lima beans. The succotash is wonderful as it is or topped with grilled shrimp, salmon or chicken.

Chopped pickled tomatillos make a delicious garnish for tacos and quesadillas.

We love dilly beans, but using a sweet brine and dried chile peppers gives pickled green beans a unique twist.