By Fabiana Santana
The Daily Meal
For football fans, this is the happiest time of the year. Not only for the game-winning rush, but also for the tailgating parties that come beforehand. Nothing beats chowing down on game-time grub. Chips, dips, burgers, ribs -- eat too many of those sauced-up pulled pork sandwiches and fried Oreos, and you could be out for the count before the season is over. You worked all summer on your swimsuit figure, but all it takes is any given Sunday full of food to wreck it all.
If you want to make it through the day, let alone season, you might want to reevaluate your tailgating menu. We’re not saying to show up with a salad instead of a sub — although a few more greens never hurt anyone. No, the key to a fun and healthy tailgating session is to swap out certain ingredients in your favorite meals to lighten their calorie and fat load.
Rocco DiSpirito created a low-fat barbecue rib recipe specifically for tailgating. The celeb is a regular at the New York City Wine & Food Festival’s Jets + Chefs: The Ultimate Tailgate party, and his recipe cuts the calories and fat in this popular dish by two thirds. He revamped another tailgating favorite -- sausage and peppers -- by swapping out pork sausage for Italian turkey sausage links. Adding fresh chopped tomatoes, onions, and peppers that have been lightly sautéed with olive oil lends a brightness and fresh flavor that more than make up for the lack of pork.
"I ate sausage and peppers a lot when I was a kid," says DiSpirito. "It’s an Italian hot dog. You have it on a bun, you hold it in your hand, and it’s delicious. Perfect for tailgating!"
Here are some more tips and tricks to make your tailgating just as much a health fest as it is a fun fest.
Make Your Tailgate Healthier
Bring on the Buffalo
Replace Buffalo chicken wings with Buffalo cauliflower bites. They pack the same flavorful, spicy punch and have way fewer calories than fried chicken.
Bring on the Buffalo
Cauliflower is so versatile; it can really take on new flavors every time you make it. Batter and bake cauliflower florets, then coat with hot sauce and bake again. Serve with a side of yogurt gorgonzola dressing.
Chill Out
Lighten up your load with a low-cal version of chili that is made by swapping out ground beef for lean ground turkey. The addition of chipotle peppers helps to create complex layers of flavor that will have your guests gushing over the fact that this is actually good for them.
Chill Out
Make it in a slow cooker the night before -- it’s not only healthy, it’s also easy.
Link Out
Street-style subs are a fun and easy-to-eat addition to your tailgating menu. Create a healthier version of a sausage and pepper hero by using Italian style turkey sausage links.
Link Out
Sauté onions, peppers, and chopped tomatoes in olive oil and a bit of sea salt for added flavor and crunchy texture. Whole-wheat hoagie rolls bring it all together for easy -- and delicious -- eating on the go.
Swap Your Burger Style
Instead of full sized burgers, make a batch of sliders using whole-wheat rolls and lean ground beef or turkey.
Swap Your Burger Style
Top them with a healthy slaw of shredded carrots and cabbage tossed in a dressing of nonfat plain yogurt and apple cider vinegar.
Turn Your Grill Into a Pizza Oven
Load up your Weber with charcoal briquettes, light them up, drop a pizza stone on them, and close the lid. Let the stone get nice and hot and you’ve just created a makeshift pizza oven out of your flatbed.
Turn Your Grill Into a Pizza Oven
Grill up homemade pizzas topped with fresh tomato sauce, vegetables, and a small helping of cheese and lean meats and you’ve got a masterpiece. At the end of the day, homemade pizza is always better
When I Dip, You Dip, We Dip
Make your spinach and artichoke dip lighter by swapping out mayo for nonfat Greek yogurt and reduced-fat cream cheese. Mix two cups of yogurt with one cup of cream cheese. Then add artichoke hearts, frozen spinach, garlic cloves, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and diced jalapeños to taste.
When I Dip, You Dip, We Dip
This version has all the creaminess of the original without the calories and a whole lot more kick. Whole-grain tortilla chips or carrots are the perfect dipping vessel.
Wing It
If you’ve got to have wings, then grill them instead of frying them -- or, better yet, roast them. Chicken wings have a higher ratio of skin to meat than any other cut of chicken.
Wing It
So grilling or roasting them will result in a caramelized skin that renders the fat for layers of flavor. Add all the hot sauce you can take -- cayenne pepper helps boost metabolism.
For the complete list of the 10 Easy Swaps To Make Your Tailgate Healthier go to TheDailyMeal.com.
More From The Daily Meal:
-- The 8 Healthiest Beers to Pack in Your Tailgate Cooler
-- 10 Easy Swaps to Make Your Tailgate Healthier
-- Healthiest Foods to Bring to a Tailgate
-- 6 Reasons Beer Is Good for You
