How to Stay on Track While Tailgating

Tailgating prior to a sporting event or a concert is a lot of fun—but it also poses a lot of food challenges when it comes to sticking with your healthy diet. After all, a big part of tailgating is snacking and it’s usually not on healthy treats. But don’t despair. With just a little bit of forethought and planning, you can still enjoy tailgating at your favorite event without totally wrecking your diet.

What to drink:

While it may be challenging, the first healthy change you should make to your tailgating routine is forgoing the alcohol. In general, drinking is not recommended on our weight loss plan for a lot of good reasons. Alcoholic beverages are high in calories, contain no nutrients that your body needs, can cause dehydration which in turn makes you feel hungry, may make you less careful about overeating and could leave you feeling poor the next day which also makes you more prone to overeating.

Besides alcohol, you should also avoid sugary beverages like soda or even energy drinks. It’s so easy to drink a ton of calories without even realizing it—especially when you’re sitting or standing around and socializing. Instead, opt for bottled water or unsweetened iced tea.

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What to eat:

If you or your friends bring a portable grill for tailgating, then cheeseburgers are likely on the menu. Instead, you could choose to bring along some chicken or some veggie burgers to grill instead. Or, opt for a small burger with no cheese. A single hot dog can also be a fine choice if you forgo the chili cheese and just opt for ketchup or mustard.

If you don’t cook at the event, you may pick up food. A lot of times tailgating means choices like cheese steaks, pizza or wings. Instead of these fat-laden options, pack a salad or some healthy snacks to tide you over. One of the reasons that healthy eating while tailgating is possible is because you can have a lot of control over the food you’re eating. Unlike a restaurant, where you’re choosing from what’s already there, you can pack foods that work for you.

While it’s very easy to pack your own healthy snacks, the challenge arises when fighting to maintain that willpower to eat something different from everyone else. Just putting in the effort to prepare and pack healthy snacks might be enough to encourage you to eat them. Take the time to cut up veggies and pack them with dip for a healthy snack while others are eating chips. Though it may be difficult, eating healthy at a tailgate is absolutely doable. And it’s those efforts to make changes to your lifestyle that ultimately have the biggest impact when it comes to your health and your weight loss. It’s worth the fight!

Check out this handy guide to better understand what you should eat and avoid while at the tailgate: