On any given Saturday you can find me watching football on the couch, at a bar, sitting in the stadium cheering on my Buckeyes, or one of my favorites….tailgating.
There’s nothing better than stadium parking lots fired up with team spirit on a fall Saturday with friends, family and of course, delicious food. I don’t know about you, but after hours of continuous snacking on greasy, unhealthy, fried food, I feel like I should go run a marathon…but I’m so full I can’t move.
I’m here to tell you that you CAN enjoy football Saturday and all its yummy snacking without the guilt! Using some of these easy tailgating snack swaps for the next big game will leave you cheering in the end zone!
SWAP
- Burgers for chicken sandwiches
- Pork bratwurst for turkey bratwurst
- Queso dip for pico de gallo
- Queso for guacamole or hummus
- Fried snacks for baked
- Big bowls of dips for individual servings
- Mayo and sour cream for yogurt or Greek yogurt
- Full fat cheese/milk for low fat products
- Buns and bread for whole wheat tortillas or lettuce wraps
- Tortilla chips for whole wheat pita chips or veggies
- Cookies and brownies for delicious, fresh fruit skewers with dip
- Alcoholic beverages for flavored water, iced tea or 100% fruit juice
It’s also really easy to sit for the entire game (which can sometimes be up to 4 hours.) So instead of becoming a couch potato or permanently stuck in your lawn chair, try some of these fit tailgating tips to stay active during the game.
TRY
- Standing instead of sitting for the whole game
- Passing a football, Frisbee or baseball during halftime
- Playing corn hole during the game (only if you have the game on TV close by obviously!)
- Do a push up/sit up competition with your friends every time your team scores
Tailgating shouldn't leave you feeling guilty because of the mass amounts of potato skins and chicken wings you consumed. You can still have a great time cheering on your team while enjoying delicious and HEALTHIER snacks!
Try out some of my personal favorites for smarter game day snacking:
Skinny Southwest Chicken Dip
Buffalo Chicken with Skinny Ranch
Fruit Skewers with Vanilla Honey Yogurt Dip
Happy snacking! And of course, GO BUCKS!
This blog post was contributed by Allie Squires, a PR and Marketing intern with Hedstrom-Ball Bounce & Sport. She recently graduated from The Ohio State University with a degree in Strategic Communications and thinks dogs are better than cats.
