Healthy Gameday Worthy Eats for Your Next Tailgate Party
“Woo, football!” Rarely are those words followed by, “now, where’s the healthy tailgate food?”
Tailgate parties are typically filled with brauts, burgers and beer. All of which are totally fine – especially when the cooked meat is of the organic, antibiotic-free variety, and when the beer is organic, too! Fill your next tailgate party with some traditional, football game eats (with a health and earth-conscious glint), and add a few healthy tailgate appetizers (that no one will think are healthy — none of that gross fat-free processed stuff here), too!
Healthy appetizers
Hummus, salsa and crackers travel well, and also please the pickiest palettes. If the game is early, serve up some bloody marys to get your crew going and ready to cheer.
Main course
Burgers are so 2011. OK, not really, but sometimes it’s fun to grill something a bit different. Fire up the grill and try cooking some Grilled Lamb Gyros (via Men’s Health).
Ingredients
2 lb butterflied leg of lamb
6 whole-wheat pitas
16 oz plain yogurt
2 beefsteak tomatoes, sliced
Hummus, to taste
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh cracked pepper
1 red onion, finely sliced
Hot sauce of your choice to taste
Method
“Combine the lamb, yogurt, garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper in a container. Cover and marinate the meat for at least 2 hours (or up to a full day).
Preheat a grill on medium. Remove the lamb from the marinade and wipe away most of the yogurt. Then place the meat on the grill. Cook 10 to 15 minutes a side, until the lamb is well charred on the outside and feels firm but stringy to the touch. For medium rare, a thermometer inserted into the deepest part of the lamb should read 125°F.
Remove the lamb from the grill and let it rest for at least 10 minutes. In the mean-time, warm the pitas on the grill for 30 seconds a side, or wrap them in foil and warm them for 5 to 7 minutes in a 350°F oven. Once the lamb has cooled slightly, slice it very thinly with a sharp knife and serve with the warm pitas, tomato, onion, hummus, and hot sauce.”
Serves six (for nutritional information, go here)
Vegetarian friends can easily fill their gyros with grilled veggies (zucchinis, squash, eggplant, and peppers work great). Just make sure to have a separate grill for meat and veggies. Serve organic beer or wine with gyros!
Sweets
Prepare these easy-to-make Peanut Butter No-Bake Bars. The bars are full of healthy ingredients and are the perfect topper before heading into the stadium.
Resources:
http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/Best-Tailgate-Foods/printer.php
Image: woodleywonderworks
