Football season is approaching and you know what that means…Tailgating Parties!
Although it’s tailgating season, we all need to keep in mind healthy food choices. A healthy tailgate is possible. You should put healthy and delicious tailgate choices on the menu to watch you and your guests’ waistlines, cholesterol and blood pressure.
Best of all, neither you or your guests will never know the difference.
People wrongfully assume all tailgate food has to be full of salt, saturated fat and sugar. But the following 5 minor changes can transform unhealthy tailgate food into healthy foods that add fiber, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals to you and your party guests’ dietaries:
- Use white meat rather than red meat. White meat is better than red meat because it is high in saturated fats, which clog the arteries. To make the menu have more white meat than red meat, use turkey or veggie burgers rather than beef. Make every burger have plenty of vegetables on it including lettuce, tomato and onion. Serve the burgers on whole-wheat buns rather than white bread. Make chicken chili with white beans, shredded chicken and sautéed vegetables. Instead of using beef hotdogs, use lean turkey franks. Make veggie kabobs. You can even have seafood as a healthy alternative.
- Incorporate side salads into the menu. Healthy side salads are great additions to a tailgate. Some ingredients that should be included in your side salads are beans, whole-wheat pasta, vegetables and extra virgin olive oil. The salads made should provide fiber, contain plenty of vitamins and minerals and consist of healthy fats. A Greek salad is a great side salad choice. You can add grilled chicken or shrimp to make it an extremely delightful treat.
- Remove fattening chips from the menu. Yes, we understand that chips are a staple of tailgates. However, there are plenty of healthier alternatives to choose. Air popped popcorn is full of fiber and still a delightful treat. Whole grain crackers with hummus, almonds, walnuts, soy nuts and roasted pumpkin seeds make for excellent treats. If you’re a die-hard fan of chips, try baked chips for your tailgate and serve them with salsa or guacamole.
- Pack your desserts and sweets with nutrients. Some great desserts to have on the menu are fruit kabobs covered in yogurt dip. Make fruit the centerpiece of your tailgate table to attract all guests to a naturally delicious healthy choice. Serve water with lemon slices or 100% fruit juice. Avoid sugar sodas and excess calories drink mixers. Remember, too much alcohol can dehydrate your guests and impair their judgments.
Wow your tailgate guest to today with a healthy, delicious tailgate menu. Hearn Kirkwood is here to help your tailgate parties support good health.
For a great selection of nutritious and fresh foods, shop at Hearn Kirkwood, contact Hearn Kirkwood by calling410.712.6000 (Baltimore), 301.621.2992 (Washington DC), or visit our website!
Hearn Kirkwood is a privately held Food Service Distributor specializing in produce, meat, poultry, dairy, and seafood. Since our founding in 1946, we have grown from a store front on the downtown Baltimore Produce Market to a 60,000 sq. ft. facility. Hearn Kirkwood purchases 90% of our fresh produce direct from California, Florida, Texas, etc. with the balance supplied by local markets. We are located within one mile of Route 295 and I95 providing us with easy access to Baltimore, Washington and Virginia.
Hearn Kirkwood currently operates a fleet of 33 refrigerated trucks. Our service area includes all of Maryland, Washington D.C., Delaware and Northern Virginia – with limited service to Fredericksburg, Philadelphia, and New Jersey.
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