A Healthy Take on Your Tailgate

Ready, set, tailgate

Instead of tempting yourself with potato chips and hot dogs, make this delicious spread of healthy updates to your pre-game favorites.

White Bean and Bacon Dip With Rosemary Pita Chips
This savory dip is a healthy alternative to fat-laden cheese dips. The bacon creates a rich smoky flavor, while the white beans pack plenty of fiber and protein. Served with your homemade, flavor-packed chips, you save 1.5 grams saturated fat. Plus it can be made ahead of time and stored in the cooler.

Spicy-Sweet Slaw

Instead of loading up on mayo, this recipe uses a combination of horseradish, honey, and vinegar to create a spicy-sweet flavor. Though light on calories, this dish packs in plenty of vitamins C and K from the cabbage, tomatoes, and bell pepper.

Denis Leary's Zesty Baked Chicken Wings

Bake these healthy wings before heading to the game, and simply pack them in tinfoil to keep them warm. Baking them with a bread crumb and Parmesan cheese coating creates a tried food texture, and parsley adds a vibrant taste and more than 100% of your DRI of bone-building vitamin K.

Serve with the homemade dip to recreate the creamy texture of ranch dressing with none of the fat!

New American Deviled Eggs

These lighter, leaner deviled eggs are a new take on your tailgate staple. Using yogurt as a substitute for some of the mayo, you cut calories and create a mild base for the curry powder, ginger, and hot sauce. The result is a zesty flavor—and 3 grams of protein—in each bite!

Yogurt-and-Spice Grilled Chicken Skewers

Forget corn dogs and choose a healthier meat on a stick. This marinated chicken is easy to grill on site, and will be hot in no time.

The low-fat yogurt makes a creamy base for paprika, chili powder, and garlic, and the reduced-fat dipping sauce contains honey mustard and sour cream (two products you'll surely have on hand). Serve with slaw and an ice-cold drink.

Smothered Burgers

A tailgate wouldn't be complete without a juicy burger, and this recipe will save you more than 11 grams of fat compared to the typical drive-thru cheeseburger. Ground round is an especially lean cut of beef that also gives you more than 4 grams of iron.

The combination of mushrooms, onions, and Swiss cheese makes a mouthwatering topping (with vital nutrients). And if you have vegetarians at your tailgate, try these Smoked Cheddar and Lentil Burgers.

Toffee Blond Brownies

Every tailgate needs a sweet finish to all the savory fare served throughout the day. Brown sugar, egg substitute, flour, and a bit of butter make a gooey brownie-like base. The toffee bits melt during baking and give the brownies a crunchy topping that makes a sweet, but not-too-rich dessert. Using egg substitute cuts down on cholesterol (and calories)!
http://www.health.com

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