Football can make weekends a time to look forward to in the Fall. However, along with action-packed games, comes calorie-packed foods for many football fans. From tailgates to take-out, many of the traditional game-day foods are unhealthy, but the following tips can help to modify your menu so you can enjoy many seasons to come:
| Instead of These Entrees: | Try These Entrees: |
| Italian Hoagie | Turkey, Chicken, Ham or Roast Beef Hoagie (hold the mayo) |
| Cheese Steak | Hot Roast Beef or Pulled Pork Sandwich |
| Fried Chicken or Chicken Wings | BBQ Chicken without skin |
| Hamburgers or Hot Dogs | Turkey Burgers, Grilled Chicken Sandwich or a Reduced-Fat Hot Dog |
| Sausage or Pepperoni Pizza | Mushroom, Ham, Veggie or Plain Pizza |
| Nachos with Chili | Chili (made with lean beef or ground turkey) with a roll or a few tortilla chips |
| Instead of These Sides: | Try These Sides: |
| Potato or Tortilla Chips | Baked Chips, Pretzels, Popcorn(for microwave popcorn, try the ones that are 94% fat-free) |
| French Fries | Oven-baked Fries |
| Chips with Dip | Vegetable Tray with Reduced-Fat Dip (Try using low-fat mayo or fat-free sour cream for dips) |
Don’t forget to watch the beverages too. Sodas and Alcoholic beverages can add a lot of calories and have no nutritional value. Try to drinking water throughout the game to replace some calorie-laden beverages and stay well hydrated.