Baked Buffalo Chicken Bites
Ditch the deep-fried Buffalo wings and call an audible for tasty, bite-size morsels of lean, shredded, cooked chicken breast. Combine the meat with hot sauce, non-fat cream cheese and chopped green onions; spoon into bite-size balls and coat in whole-grain breadcrumbs.
Sloppy Joe Sliders
While the taste will bring you back to the carefree days of your adolescence, the nutrition here is all grown up. Choose at least 95% lean ground meat and add mashed kidney beans for additional protein and fiber. Top it off with tomatoes and spices for an adult spin. Serve on mini whole-grain buns, and you’re in the red zone.
Deviled Eggs
Low-carb and packed with flavor, savory deviled eggs are delicious, filling and super-portable. Toss a skinny post to your eggs by using only half of the yokes to cut back on fat. Then, combine with plain Greek yogurt, onions, diced peppers, and top with paprika for a spicy, high-protein bite.
Bite-Sized Greek Salad
Chunks of low-fat feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, black olives, and skewers are all you need for a healthy salad you can eat on a stick. Easy to make and easy to pack without fumbling, add some grilled chicken cubes to your kebab for a lean protein boost.
Salsa-y Black Bean Guacamole Dip with Baked Lentil Chips
While avocado is a healthy fat, too much of any fat is a turnover. Try a guacamole dip that substitutes half of the avocado with low-calorie, spicy salsa and high-protein black beans. And while you're at it, skip the fried, trans fat-laden corn chips and opt for saving about 6g of fat per serving with baked lentil chips.
Grilled Chicken and Veggie Skewers
Loaded with protein instead of fat, grilled chicken is a staple at most tailgate parties. Grill your chicken with your favorite vegetables the night before the big game, stack ‘em on skewers, and you won’t get sacked come game time.
Mini Reuben Sandwich
Make your own bit-sized, gourmet-to-go sandwiches and avoid overindulging on large portions of red meat. Stack each sandwich with extra-lean pastrami, low-fat Swiss cheese, and sauerkraut on rye bread. Then, cut the stacks into mini, bite-size portions and score a touchdown with a healthy taste of an all-time classic.
California Flatbread Pizza Squares
Make your own healthy flat bread pizza using whole wheat dough, low-fat mozzarella, and topping it with chunks of white turkey meat, tomato, and sliced avocado. What’s better than pizza served fresh out of the oven? Pizza served cold the day of the game in one hand, and an ice-cold brew in the other.
Grilled chicken, corn, and bean salad
Skip the fatty, Mexican layer dip this football season by calling a quarterback option and creating a salad with the same tasty ingredients, minus the cheese and sour cream. Throw in some grilled corn and chicken mixed with black beans, tomatoes, cilantro, and fresh lime juice, and you’ve got yourself the perfect pass.
Turkey Meatballs
Swapping ground beef for ground turkey breast can save you 100 calories and 7.5g of fat per 4 ounce serving (that's about four meatballs). Whip up a batch of turkey meatballs at your next tailgate to score the protein you need and throw a stiff arm to the fat you don’t want.
Pizza and chicken wings may be standard fare at any tailgating party, but dig into that fat-laden food now and you’ll need more than a few additional workouts to burn off those extra calories