How to Eat Healthier on Game Day
By Sara Butler
Football season is in full swing. It’s great to get together with family and friends to celebrate your favorite team, but what isn’t great is the heavy foods that tend to go along with it. Don’t fret, because there are many healthy options you can begin including in your game day fare that is healthy and won’t leave you feeling like you need to call a penalty right before halftime. Here are some tips to help you eat healthier on game day.
Pregame the Healthy Way
If you’re lucky enough to go to the big game, tailgating is a great way to save time, money, and calories before you enter the stadium. Make the most of your tailgate by making sure to have fresh fruits and vegetables on hand along with your favorite grilled meats.
Speaking of grilling, instead of more traditional (and fatty) hot dogs and burgers, try kabobs made with grass-fed beef or chicken skewered with your favorite vegetables. This is a great way to pack a lot of flavors in without eating too many highly processed meats and to get rid of the refined flour buns too.
Stay Hydrated
Take a page from your favorite football player’s playbook by making sure to sip all day in order to stay hydrated. Drinking water throughout the day will help you keep the snacking to a minimum and keep you from overindulging. If you want to spice it up you don’t have to drink Gatorade, but you can add fresh fruit, vegetables, or herbs to your water. Think lemons, limes, cucumbers, and mint!
Go for a Hard to Eat Snack
Most of the time, game-day eats are all about convenience. The problem is that this makes it easy to have too much! So, choose snacks that force you to slow down in order to eat them. Things such as nuts in the shell or edamame in pods are a great snack that’s healthy and slow-going.
Pace Yourself
Football is a great sport, but it’s certainly not fast. The average game can three hours or more so make sure to pace yourself. Create a game plan that allows you time away from the buffet table so you won’t be tempted to graze every time gameplay stops.
You can have fun and keep health a priority too this football season!
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Aurora, Colo.
