United Supermarket’s Top 5 Tips for Healthier Tailgating

Football season is officially underway — and so is tailgating!

Brenda Garcia, corporate dietician for United Supermarkets, loves football herself, and her team has whipped up some smart ideas for making healthier choices while tailgating or watching football games at home.

1) Don't skip meals. Don't try to "save" calories from dinner the night before or from breakfast in favor of a large tailgate meal. Garcia says you're far more likely to consume more calories through food and beverage if you try this. Instead, just eat balanced meals with lean protein and fiber.

2) Speaking of lean proteins ... When you're firing up the grill, choose a 90/10 or 93/7 meat instead of something with more fat. Or mix leaner ground meats together, such as half ground turkey and half ground chicken or half ground turkey and half ground beef. If you're grilling a cut of meat, choose pieces with thinner veining or marbling to reduce the overall fat content.

3) Throw in some lighter options. Think about tossing together a veggie tray or grabbing guac or pico de gallo instead of queso or seven-layer dip. Explore lighter choices for chips, such as Beanitos.

4) Stay hydrated. Plain water is great, but you also can try low-calorie or no-calorie sparkling drinks like Poppi, Olipop, Waterloo and AHA.

5) Try something sweet. Kodiak Cake Graham Crackers will give you a sweet and satisfying crunch, complete with fiber and protein. You also can try it with chocolate hummus or a mixture of peanut butter and Greek yogurt.

For more great tips from Brenda and the United Supermarkets team, be sure to check out the Happy + Nourished. Sign up for their newsletter to get tasty recipes and helpful cooking ideas delivered right to your inbox!