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A tailgate party is a great time to celebrate and enjoy delicious food with friends and family while supporting your favorite sports team.
Foods such as chips, hot dogs, cupcakes, and fried chicken tend to dominate the tailgate menu, so finding nutritious options on match day can be difficult.
Sometimes it’s okay to enjoy these foods, but some may want to bring more nutritious options to the party.
Fortunately, there are plenty of choices for delicious, healthy tailgate-friendly foods that will inspire you and your friends through big games.
This article lists 15 healthy tailgate food options.
If you’re heading to a large tailgate party, it’s a good idea to bring a dish that can feed the crowd, such as:
1. White chicken chili
Chile is a staple of tailgates, especially in the colder months.
Most chili is tomato-based, but Well Plated by Erin’s white chicken chili recipe is based on chicken broth. It features nutritious ingredients such as white beans, chicken breast, and garlic.
Chicken breast is an excellent source of protein, and beans contain both protein and fiber, so this dish will keep you and your friends full throughout the game.
Adding a source of fiber and protein to your diet and snacks can help you feel full longer. This is essential if you need the energy to support your favorite team (
This website allows you to double or triple your recipes. This is useful when cooking in large groups.
2. Pepper stuffing casserole
Casserole is a fan favorite. In addition, they were heartfelt enough to satisfy the hungry crowd.
This stuffed pepper casserole from Eating Bird Food is packed with healthy ingredients such as brown rice, turkey minced meat, spinach, diced tomatoes, peppers and cheese.
It’s easy to make and requires only one pot. You can also create it in CrockPot if you wish.
3. Mediterranean chickpea and farro salad
Enhance your tailgate salad game with a salad recipe of Mediterranean chickpeas and farro that delights this crowd of Hum Sapien.
Unlike typical Game Day pasta salads, this hearty dish is made with farro, a whole grain that is an excellent source of fibers and minerals such as iron and potassium ().
It is full of olive, onion, parsley and feta cheese flavors and is rich in vegetable protein thanks to chickpeas. You can double or triple the recipe, depending on how many people you plan to serve.
4. Yaki skewers
Skewers, also known as cabobs, are perfect for tailgate parties. They are versatile, easy to make and sure to please crowds with different taste preferences.
If you have a grill available for a tailgate party, you can prepare it in large quantities at home and grill it when you’re ready to eat.
Try these delicious skewer combinations for your next tailgate party:
Finger food is a must at the tailgate. People prefer the option of having a light meal in a social setting. In addition, finger foods tend to be small, so it’s easy to make in large quantities.
Here are some finger hoods that make the perfect tailgate nose.
5. Deviled egg
Deviled eggs have it all. They are savory, creamy, protein-filled and very satisfying.
This Deviled Egg recipe uses Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise. This allows you to add protein and a spicy twist to your recipe without changing the characteristic creamy texture.
The addition of mustard and paprika adds a powerful flavor to the dish and makes it stand out among other tailgate food options.
7. Buffalo chicken meatballs
These buffalo chicken meatballs from Real Food Nutritionists make delicious dinners, lunches, or tailgate finger foods.
To make it easier to handle at the tailgate, make it a little smaller and stick it on a toothpick or skewer.
Not only is it delicious, but it also has plenty of vegetables such as carrots, onions, and celery. In other words, you can rest assured that you can get decent vegetables even on game days.
They are gluten-free and archaic, making them a good choice for people who follow these diets.
8. Salad windmill
Salads can be difficult to eat when socializing at a tailgate party.
Conveniently, you can make a windmill to shrink a salad into bite-sized pieces.
Fill the wrap with the ingredients of the salad of your choice, roll it up, slice it, and fix it with a toothpick so that it stays together.
Try delicious windmill recipes such as Greek salad windmills and chicken and avocado rollups, or create your own combos with your favorite salad components.
9. Turkey sandwich bob
A fascinating combination of turkey, cheese, pickles and crispy vegetables makes these turkey sandwich bobs from reluctant entertainers an ideal choice for tailgate parties.
You can make them in large batches. Feel free to change the type of vegetables or omit cheese to accommodate different taste preferences and dietary restrictions.
While fresh vegetables are rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals, turkey and cheese are excellent sources of protein and fat. When combined, this allows for a balanced tailgate selection (
10. Mushroom stuffing
Plush mushrooms are a satisfying, vegetarian-friendly dish that works well at tailgate parties.
Mushrooms are bite-sized and can be made from a few simple ingredients, making them the perfect finger food choice for game days.
At your next tailgate party, try these healthy and delicious tailgate-friendly plush mushroom recipes.
You were tasked with making desserts for a tailgate party, but if you want to make something a little more nutritious, you’re in luck!
There are plenty of delicious and healthy desserts and sweet treats that are friendly to the tailgate party.
11. Grainless sweet potato avocado brownie bites
These bite-sized grain-free sweet potato avocado brownies are from Real Food Dietitians and should satisfy the hungry tailgate crowd.
Made from sweet potatoes, avocados, eggs, coconut flowers and walnuts, it is much richer in fiber, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals than traditional brownie bites.There is also very little sugar ((((
If you have a large number of people, you can double or triple the recipe on this website.
12. Homemade Twix bar
If you find it difficult to reproduce the Twix bar at home, think again.
Bakerita’s recipe for this homemade Twix bar requires just a handful of ingredients such as almond butter, dates, coconut flowers, coconut oil, and maple syrup. In addition, it only takes 30 minutes to create.
The result is a pareo, vegan-friendly, crunchy, chocolate-like crunchy bar.
Compared to traditional Twix bars, these bars also have much less sugar (6).
13. Ice lolly
If party attendees are looking for a tailgate-friendly dessert to help them survive the heat, try making a popsicle batch.
Popsicles are ideal for tailgates in warm climates, can be made with or without alcohol, and can be enjoyed by everyone.
All you need is an ice lolly mold and some simple ingredients.
Here’s a recipe for a delicious popsicle and ice cream bar with low sugar.
To keep the popsicles frozen, take them to a tailgate party in a cooler box full of ice and ice packs.
14. Lemon bar
Lemon bars are always popular at parties. It has a spicy sweet taste and rich, sunny colors that stand out next to common desserts such as cupcakes and donuts.
Minimalist Baker’s creamy vegan lemon bar recipe has less sugar and more fiber than traditional lemon bars, but tastes the same.
Made with nutritious ingredients such as cashew nuts, almonds and oats, it will surely satisfy your sweet teeth.
It can be served in full size or shredded as a bite-sized tailgate-friendly treat.
15. Fruit and cheese board
For small tailgate gatherings, try making a fruit and cheese board.
You can customize the fruit and cheese boards to your liking. For example, sweeten it with a dessert dip and chocolate, or use a combination of cheese and salty to make it delicious.
If you are feeding a large number of people, you can also make individual cups of fruit and cheese.
Here are some ideas for fruit and cheeseboard combos that will please both sweet and salt-loving tastes.
Then try adding these fun and nutritious sweet dips to your board.
The tailgate menu doesn’t have to revolve around hot dogs and burgers. Show your cooking skills to your friends and family by preparing delicious and nutritious dishes.
The diets and light meals on this list are a balanced source of fiber, protein, and fat. In addition, the proposed sweet treats are low in sugar and high in nutrients compared to most traditional tailgate desserts.
Still, rest assured that the food will not be disappointing when it comes to taste.
Try one or more of the above recipes the next time you are invited to a tailgate party.
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