Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer—a time for gatherings, fun in the sun, and, of course, indulging in delicious food with friends and family. Holidays like Labor Day present a unique opportunity to celebrate not only the occasion but highlight well-raised, local and seasonal real food that leaves you both satisfied and energized.
The Importance of Real Food for Celebrations
Many associate holiday weekends with indulgent treats that can leave you feeling sluggish. However, there’s no need to compromise on taste or quality. Real food—free of processed ingredients and packed with nutrients—can be the star of your Labor Day spread, allowing you to indulge without guilt.
Celebrating with real food enhances the joy of the occasion allows you to create delicious meals that everyone can enjoy, regardless of dietary restrictions.
Learn about our real food philosophy here
Planning Your Labor Day Party
When hosting a Labor Day celebration, the key is to focus on fresh, seasonal, and crowd-pleasing dishes. Whether you’re following a specific, or are simply a lover of real food, you can create a variety of options that satisfy every palate. The goal is to provide nourishing meals that allow everyone to enjoy themselves while (perhaps even unknowingly) supporting their health.
Tips To Make Your Party A Success
No party is complete without some delicious meals to share. If you’re stuck in the debate of what to serve to help you end summer on a high note, we have some tantalizing ideas for you. And, of course, no menu would be complete without desserts.
When planning your celebration:
- Emphasize the Grill: Grilling is a great way to keep food simple and flavorful. Grass-fed meats, wild-caught fish, and seasonal veggies can all be cooked to perfection on the grill.
- Incorporate Seasonal Produce: Labor Day coincides with peak harvest time, so utilize fresh, local fruits and vegetables to bring out the best flavors.
- Offer Variety: Cater to different dietary preferences by offering a variety of proteins, veggies, and healthy fats.
- Stay Hydrated: Serve refreshing drinks that hydrate and nourish, like herbal iced teas, infused water, or low-sugar mocktails
Drinks
We’ll start with the drinks. There is no definitive answer out there on which kinds of alcohol are the closest to real-food options, but there are a few easy rules to remember to ensure you can still partake in happy hour and not completely sabotage your healthy lifestyle efforts.
If you’re looking to enjoy an alcoholic beverage our comprehensive Alcohol Guide will help you choose the best alcohol (and avoid choosing the wrong types!)
For those avoiding alcohol, our Summer Mocktail Guide provides multiple creative ideas for non-alcoholic options
Salads & Sides
Creative salads and sides that satisfy all tastes and meet your Paleo diet standards can sometimes feel a little more challenging but they need not be.
Salads are often an after-thought at a traditional BBQ, but serving something fun and filling can be a crowd pleaser. Check out our Summer Salad Guide which is the best way to mix, match and create your own, unique signature dish.
The Mains
Burgers With Avocado Salsa
Who doesn’t love a good burger on Labor Day? Skip the processed buns and opt for lettuce wraps or no buns at all. Top your humanely raised beef patties with an avocado salsa for added creaminess and flavor.
Ingredients:
For The Burgers
- 2 Pounds Ground Grass-Fed Beef
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic
- 1 Tablespoon Salt
- 1 Tablespoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
For The Salsa
- 2 To 3 ripe Hass Avocados
- Juice Of ½ Lime
- Zest Of ½ Lime
- 1 Small Roma Tomato, Seeded And Diced (About ½ Cup)
- 1 Small Mango, Peeled And Diced (About 1 Cup)
- 1 Clove Garlic, Minced (About 1 Tablespoon)
- 1 Small Shallot, Minced (About 3 Tablespoons)
- 3 Tablespoons Chopped Cilantro
- 1 Jalapeño Pepper, Seeded And Finely Diced
- 1 Teaspoon Salt, Plus More To Taste
- 1 Teaspoon Pepper
- ½ Teaspoon Ground Cumin
- ½ Teaspoon Chili Powder
Grill The Burgers
- Preheat your grill. If you have a gas grill, set it on high; if you have a charcoal grill, use a chimney or propane starter.
- In a large bowl, mix all ingredients for the burgers with your hands. Form the mixture into four patties about 5 inches in diameter and ¾ inch thick.
- Place the burgers on a sheet pan, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes. This will let the salt do some work on the meat and raise the temperature of the meat so it cooks evenly on the grill.
- Place the burgers on the grill, beginning at 12 o’clock and working clockwise around the grill. Let the burgers grill for 3 to 4 minutes. Starting with the burger at 12 o’clock, turn each burger 90 degrees and cook for 1 to 2 minutes to get the perfect diamond-shaped char. Flip the burgers and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then turn each burger 90 degrees and cook for 1 to 2 minutes
Make The Salsa
- Halve the avocados and remove the pits. Without going through the peel, make diagonal slices ¼ inch wide across the avocado, then turn it 90 degrees and repeat to create ¼ inch cubes.
- Scoop out the avocado pieces into a bowl and immediately squeeze the lime juice over them so they don’t start to brown.
- Zest the other half of the lime onto the avocado.
- Add the tomato, mango, garlic, shallot, cilantro, jalapeño, salt, pepper, ground cumin, and chili powder.
- Fold the mixture together to keep the shape of the avocado as intact as possible. Add more salt if necessary.
- While the salsa can be eaten right away, it’s great after 3 to 6 hours in the fridge, and it will keep in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.
- Plate the burgers after they have rested for about 5 minutes, then top with a few tablespoons of salsa per burger
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Smoked BBQ Cider Can Chicken
A note from Chef Pete: This is a paleo take on one of my favorite summer recipes of all time. I use cider because I like the flavor cider gives, but to be honest you could use beer if you like. You’re not going to transfer any gluten from the steaming of the beer. You can do it without adding the wood chips and smoking it, but it’s much, much better smoked.
Ingredients:
- 2 Pastured Chickens Roughly 3lbs each
- 2 cups wood chips (I prefer hickory or pecan, never ever use soft wood like pine)
- 2-12 oz cans of cider
- 3 eco foil tin pans (they come in 3 packs in grocery store 6”x6’” or 7”x7”)
- Charcoal (wood charcoal is recommended but any is good. Use a chimney or propane starter)
Rub Blend
Whisk together in a bowl.
- 3 T Kosher Salt
- 2 T Black Pepper Ground
- 1 T Chili Powder
- 2 T Garlic Powder
- 1 T Onion Powder
Directions:
- Put wood chips in one of the aluminum pans, and soak with 1/3 of the cider from both cans. Let soak for one hour and then strain leftover cider off.
- While chips are soaking, rub chickens down with rub, no need to be perfect here, but the more even the more perfectly seasoned skin you’ll be fighting over.
- Arrange the charcoal to one side of your grill and get it lit. Once it is almost ready, place wood chips in foil tin directly over charcoal.
- Take the other two tins, place the can up the chicken's back end and use the tins as a base. Now place the birds on the other side of the grill from the chips and charcoal.
- Cover the grill, and cook for 35-40 minutes.
Perfectly Grilled Steak
Use this method to make any steak the perfect main dish – every time!
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Dessert
Although the standard Labor Day menu can make it a challenging to stay true to your commitment to eating real food, there is no need to sacrifice the taste of something sweet after your feast.
Grilled Fruit
For anyone who’s still got room, or who has a bit of a sweet tooth, grilled fresh fruit will offer a surprisingly satisfying finish to the meal. Scrape off a section of the grill (unless you want your fruit to taste like your main course) and place halves of your favorite fruit (we like stone fruit, figs or pineapple slices) over the flame until softened. Remove from the grill and place on a plate tented in foil and serve after 10 – 15 minutes. Serve with some real-food ice cream (this recipe is easy and delicious), some coconut milk ‘whipped cream’ or scatter fresh basil or mint on top or drizzle with your favorite honey for a flavor profile with a bit more depth.
Labor Day is all about taking a break, enjoying time with loved ones, and celebrating the end of summer. With a real food approach, you can create a memorable experience that fuels your body, tastes incredible, and supports your health goals. Whether you’re hosting or attending a Labor Day party, you can indulge in delicious meals that leave you feeling your best.