Football season has officially kicked off, and that means plenty of tailgates and other get-togethers to add to our busy fall schedules. With all the fried foods and carb-heavy snacks that will be front and center, it can be difficult to stay balanced.
But there are a few tricks to keep in mind when assembling the snacks you plan to bring to the festivities.
- Consider swapping out the mayo in a recipe for Greek yogurt.
- Opt for the air fryer instead of the deep fryer for wings and other fried foods.
- Lean on the natural sweetness found in fruits, sweet potatoes, carrots and apple sauce rather than the refined sugars called for in certain recipes.
- Try out some carb alternatives like lettuce wraps or peppers as a vessel for foods instead of hamburger buns or tortillas.
- And when the carbs are a must, stick with whole grain varieties or go gluten-free with rice, chickpea, or almond flour and similar wheat flour alternatives.
To help you generate some healthy tailgate food ideas of your own, we’ve got some recipes to share that are easy to make, easy to bring along and easy to satisfy sports fans this season.
Do the Dips
- A no-frills, fresh guacamole that skips the fattening mayo
- An easy hummus, because everything is better homemade
Easy-to-Grab Snacks
- Delicious broccoli tater tots that even broccoli haters will love
- Greek salad pinwheels that go easy on the cheese and hard on the fresh veggies
Don’t Sleep on Skewers
- Throw these chicken and vegetable skewers on the grill for handheld eating
- Caprese salad kabobs can fill the need for a veggie plate
Big Flavor Mains
- Air fryer buffalo wings, because the air fryer always has your back when it comes to flavor
- Low-carb nachos that substitute crunchy mini peppers for tortilla chips
- Southwestern zucchini boats that can be cut into smaller bites for easy snacking
- For fall games, a turkey chili with extra heartiness from butternut squash
Unique Showstoppers
- These gluten-free quinoa pizza bites are equal parts filling and flavorful
- Make dessert a little healthier with sweet potato and avocado brownie bites
