Healthy Snacks for Tailgating Season

Let’s face it-eating healthily at parties and group get-togethers is difficult. There are always tempting foods around that can completely ruin your daily calorie intake. For example, a popular game day snack, cheesy nachos, although delicious, will run you about 400 calories and that’s for only 6 chips! For that amount of calories you could have an entire turkey sandwich with mustard and mayo and still have roughly 50 calories to spare. You can easily bet which is more filling, an entire sandwich is much more filling over the nachos.

There is no reason you can’t partake in tailgating fun, the fun part of a tailgate isn’t all about eating, it’s about enjoying your friends and family’s company while celebrating your favorite team. Personally, my favorite part of tailgating is playing cornhole. Who knew you would need such skill to throw a beanbag into a hole? Here I have made a lovely list of healthy snacks for you and your friends to eat while tailgating. Feel free to also stop by the Nuts website, where you can see a dietician’s personal picks for healthy snacks.

Caprese Skewers

This is my favorite snack to bring to a party. It’s always a favorite dish amongst my friends. Easy recipe and delicious every single time. Here is the recipe and photo by The Kitchn.

Apple Chips

Forget regular chips, these are more nutritious, and if you ask me, way more delicious. You can either buy these in stores or online, or for those of you who don’t mind making them yourself they’re easily baked in the oven. I’ve found a lovely recipe from Sally over at Sally’s Baking Addiction and her recipe only calls for 3 ingredients. Head over here for the recipe.

Frozen Grapes

Okay, hear me out. This sounds silly, but it is one of my favorite snacks in the world. Frozen grapes taste like a bite of heaven and they’re 100% guilt free. If you’re going to be tailgating you’ll need to have them fully frozen and ready to be put in a cooler when you’re going out the door. Throw an icepack or two near the frozen grapes in the cooler, but not in the same container. When you see someone eating something sweet that might tempt you, pop a grape into your mouth for a satisfying alternative.

Beef Jerky

Teriyaki beef jerky is my favorite. Yes, jerky can be high in sodium, but it beats other crappy high calorie snacks that other people are eating during game day such as hot dogs and cheese fries! You can get them online or at a local grocery store. They’re great because they’re high in protein and make you feel full.

Kale Chips

Another great alternative to potato chips, kale chips are high in just about every vitamin. They’re at the top of the list when it comes to nutrition packing vegetables. I love this leafy green and it’s taste and can’t get enough. Making kale chips at home is a cinch, but if you prefer to buy them online that’s no problem! Here’s a recipe.

Light(er) Spinach Dip

I’ve found a recipe for a spinach dip that is 32 calories per serving. To keep the calories down, use veggies like carrots, celery and broccoli to dip. The dip that comes with the traditional veggie trays are typically loaded with calories. This is a great alternative. Here is the recipe. Enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Covered Bananas

This is definitely a sweet treat that is tasty and fun to eat. Oh wow, look at that rhyme! Anyways, I love chocolate and by using dark chocolate we are eliminating calories. Research has proven that dark chocolate is good for your heart and it tastes good, so why not have your cake and eat it too? Or in this case, have your chocolate banana and eat it too! Here’s a good recipe you can follow for it.

Chocolate Coconut Butter Bars

I have yet to try this recipe by Coconut Mama myself, however I love anything with coconuts in them. I came across this blog on Pinterest when I was looking for sweet coconut recipes. What’s great is that it only calls for 4 ingredients! They look delicious. I’d limit myself to one serving, but I think they’ll be a fan favorite at a tailgate, don’t you?