Cooking with Cocky: A Healthier Tailgate
September 26, 2013
By Kristen Tice, MS, RD, CSSD, LD
September 27, 2013
It’s officially football season and who doesn’t enjoy a good tailgate? Tailgating and football go together like peanut butter and jelly! However, the foods and drinks typically consumed while tailgating and watching football games are usually not loved by your waistline! A typical tailgate meal can set one back by 1,000+ calories and for many, that’s more than half their day’s intake!
Most people use the food they eat tailgating as a meal. With that said, make sure the meal is balanced. That means include some lean protein, grains, fruits and vegetables. Does that mean can only eat a salad? Of course not! You can dress up your offerings with to include each component of a balanced meal but with a fun, tasty twist!
Check out these tasty but healthier alternatives that are sure to please! Try bringing one of these dishes to your next tailgate….you won’t even need to tell your friends they’re healthy because they’ll never know!
On the menu:
• Meaty Stuffed Peppers
• Classic Wedge Salad
• Grilled Swordfish with Corn Salsa and Grilled Zucchini
• Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Sugar Pita Chips
• Pumpkiny Brownies
Click the pictures to see the recipes!
Meaty Stuffed Peppers
Perfect for any meat-eating, tailgating carnivore! You’ll get the meaty full effect without the artery-clogging saturated fat and calories!
Classic Wedge Salad
Quite possibly my favorite salad! I typically order this from Pearlz when I make it there for dinner but decided to recreate it myself, only healthier! Where you really save on this is in the dressing.
Grilled Swordfish with Corn Salsa and Grilled Zucchini
Looks fancy but incredibly easy to make! If you don’t like fish, sub chicken breast.
Fruit Salsa with Cinnamons Sugar Pita Chips
Don’t let the fruit in the name scare you! Whenever I make this salsa, it is usually the first thing to go. I’ve even had people hide it from the rest of the group to keep for themselves!
Pumpkiny Brownies
Take advantage of the season’s pumpkin harvest and sneak some veggies into these tailgating favorites! By doing so, you’ll be saving yourself about 100 calories and 10 grams of fat!
For more tips and help with your own personal nutrition plan, visit www.EliteNutritionandPerformance.com
Kristen Tice, MS, RD, CSSD, LD
Registered Sports Dietitian, Certified Personal Trainer
[email protected]
803-200-2506
www.EliteNutritionandPerformance.com
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