5 Foods You Can Bring To A Tailgate To Be Secretly Healthy

Flickr/Jules

It’s tailgate season! Whether you’re a buffalo wings fan or you gravitate toward that spinach dip, you’re guaranteed to have a good time. But what if you’re not trying to gain 10 pounds this season? You can still enjoy yourself while eating semi-clean. How is it possible, you ask? Bring one of these five secretly healthy foods with you and stay on track without having to compromise on flavor.

1. Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings

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We love buffalo wings, but unfortunately the restaurant- or tailgate-style often means fried chicken doused in a buffalo sauce made with hot sauce and lots of butter. A healthier version (and an easy one) involves baking the chicken wings — not frying them — and instead of a fatty sauce, making a dry buffalo rub to coat them. You still get big buffalo flavor without all the extra fat.

2. Lightened Up Spinach Dip

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We know what you’re thinking — give me a break, it’s spinach dip! Trust us, we get it. But you may not know that classic spinach dip can be high in fat, thanks to the amount of cream cheese and full-fat mozzarella that go into it. An easy swap? Get rid of that cream cheese and add in plain Greek yogurt, and swap full-fat mozzarella for low-fat. Finally, trade those unhealthy tortilla chips for whole-wheat pita chips or veggies.

3. Baked Sweet Potato Fries

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If you’re one of those people who loves to have a loaded baked potato or crispy french fries, don’t feel like you have to give up your fave for your diet. Swap regular potatoes out for baked sweet potato fries, which are much lower in fat since you’re not frying them.

4. Avocado Deviled Eggs

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Deviled eggs are the perfect little tailgating snack. But have you noticed how easy it is to lose count of how many you had? The mayonnaise is really what can get you in trouble with the appetizer. For a lightened up version, throw out half the egg yolks and add in a ripe avocado instead of mayonnaise. You still get that creamy texture while replacing some of the saturated fat from the yolks with unsaturated fats from the avos. Talk about green eggs, minus the ham!

5. Healthy Pumpkin Pie Dip

Flickr / Jules

You gotta add some pumpkin to the tailgating festivities! You could make pumpkin bread, which is amazing, but don’t forget that the typical recipe includes up to a cup of oil, which comes with serious fat content. Instead, make a pumpkin pie dip using Greek yogurt and lots of yummy spices. You can add some whole wheat graham crackers or apple slices to scoop it up with.