Tailgating...

Let’s face it, most of us are not thinking about healthy food when planning a tailgate party, but what if you could still enjoy your game day favorites without breaking your calorie bank?  We’re not suggesting that you serve tofu burgers with bean sprouts, but with just a few tweaks to your classic tailgate fare and you can stick to your healthy eating plan while still enjoying a day at the stadium.

Kick off your party with some fun and tasty appetizers

• Try baked tortilla chips or pitas with a favorite low fat black bean dip….or simply serve with salsa.
• Serve cut up raw veggies with low fat ranch dressing
• Slice reduced fat cheese and serve with whole grain crackers
• Mixed nuts are a heart healthy snack idea.  You can even toss in some dried fruit like raisins or cranberries and pretzels to make a trail mix.

Grilling is not only a low fat method of cooking, but also the most common cooking method for a tailgate party.  Instead of serving hot dogs and burgers, try some of these healthier suggestions:

• Prepare burgers using extra lean ground beef and top with reduced fat cheese.
• Serve turkey burgers, veggie burgers, or grilled marinated Portobello mushroom sandwiches.
• Make Hawaiian kebobs –thread chicken breast or shrimp with pineapple, red or green peppers, cherry tomatoes, and onions – marinated in teriyaki sauce or Hawaiian style marinade.
• Tuna, salmon, swordfish, halibut, and mahi mahi…..all great grilled.
• Simply grilled chicken.  Be creative and experiment with different marinades.

For dessert

• Fresh fruit salad
• Angel food cake topped with fresh berries
• Low fat chocolate or vanilla pudding – mix in sliced bananas and for crunch, some crushed low fat graham crackers
• Individual servings of reduced fat ice cream sandwiches or bars.
• Sorbet or fruit popsicles

Even healthy tailgating can be fun.  With just a little planning and some creativity, you can still enjoy the tailgate party while sticking to your healthy intentions.