Football season has arrived and that only means one thing: it’s time to tailgate! Tailgating is every football fan’s favorite past time. Nothing is better than getting decked out in your school’s colors to begin guzzling beers at 9:00 am before the game with thousands of other students.
As fun as tailgating is, a day full of drinking and eating fatty, greasy food can definitely leave you feeling sluggish and full of regret the next morning (damn you, drunchies).
For this weekend’s game, fill a bag with a few of these healthier tailgate foods to keep you cheerin’ all day long.
1. Fruit
Aside from being refreshingly delicious, apples and bananas are small and easy to transport. Fruit also contains a good amount of water which will and feeling energized all day long and hopefully stave off that future hangover.
2. Nuts
Almonds or walnuts will do the trick when you need a quick snack. The proteins and healthy fats will fill you up fast and help you to resist any greasy grilled foods.
3. Pretzels and Hummus
If you’re a chips-and-dip kind of person, definitely grab a bag of unsalted pretzels and some to-go hummus cups for your tailgate. While unsalted sounds boring, the lack of sodium will keep you hydrated and the hummus will make them taste super good.
4. Bagel with Peanut Butter
Before you leave, or even for lunch, eat a whole grain or multigrain bagel with some peanut butter. The carbs will soak up some of the alcohol, as with all nut snacks, the fat in the peanut butter will keep you full.
5. Water
Being in the sun all morning while drinking alcohol will definitely result in a mild case of dehydration. Drinking water while sipping on beer ensures that you’ll be feelin’ good all day. You’ll also avoid a nasty hangover if you drink a bottle of water between drinks.
#SpoonTip: If you have time to prepare, try cooking a batch of mini quiches to throw in a tupperware the night before the game, they’re the perfect travel breakfast.
Living in a dorm? Here are more healthy prepackaged snack options to keep your hanger at ease. Whatever your plan is, save the calories for the beer, and enjoy your tailgate to the fullest.