22 healthy snacks you can make on gameday (2024)

To some people, Sunday is as much about food as it is about football. We are those people. And as much as we like to indulge in our share of greasy pub fare, sometimes we want to snack on something healthy—or at least a healthier alternative to the deep-fried options. Here are 20 healthy gameday snacks, including some recipes to show you the way on game day.

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Air-fried pickles

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We can’t serve a smorgasbord of apps and snacks without including fried pickles. Instead of deep-frying them in oodles of oil, cook them in your air fryer. The only oil in this recipe from Spend With Pennies is a bit of cooking spray.

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Beef jerky

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Beef jerky is generally made with lean cuts of meat, so it’s low in calories but high in protein. When buying beef jerky, avoid super-processed varieties that are high in sodium, sugar, and/or nitrates. Or you could make your own at home with your oven and this recipe from Once Upon a Chef.

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Buffalo cauliflower

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Buffalo wings are a gameday staple, but not a very healthy option. Use cauliflower instead of chicken, as well as this recipe from Momsdish that’s made in the air fryer, and you’ll save some calories while adding some antioxidants with no excess oils. If you want a skinnier version of blue cheese for dipping, look for a yogurt-based variety.

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Butternut squash fries

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Regular deep-fried french fries are unhealthy, but baked butternut squash fries are a simple, delicious way to get some squash in your diet. (Squash is high in fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, and magnesium.) According to Food.com, all you need is butternut squash, salt, and cooking spray.

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Caprese salad skewers

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Caprese salad skewers are simple, satisfying, and slimming sources of sustenance that make for a solid Super Bowl snack. You can probably figure them out yourself—all you need are grape tomatoes, mozzarella balls, basil leaves, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar—but just in case you need guidance, Taste of Home has your back.

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Speaking of substituting cauliflower for things, why not lean into this current craze and create some crust using this healthy, versatile veggie? This recipe from Wholesome Yum requires only three ingredients to make a crust that’s so crispy you can easily pick up the pizza slices—which is great because you’ll want to cut it into snackable sizes.

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Chicken skewers

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When chicken gets fried, added to other things, or otherwise altered, it picks up calories and fat on the drive to the endzone. Instead, keep things simple and cut up the chicken into snack-sized pieces and toss it on the grill. Of course, you’ll still need a little marinade: this version from Healthy Recipes Blog calls for just olive oil, soy sauce, garlic powder, and pepper.

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Cottage cheese

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Cheese curds are a big part of life for fans in Packers and Vikings territory, but the deep-fried version doesn’t fit the healthy bill. Instead, opt for cottage cheese, which is low in calories and high in protein, calcium, and B vitamins. It doesn’t have to be plain, as you can add some razzle-dazzle with a recipe like this savory cottage cheese recipe from Skinnytaste made with cucumbers, bell peppers, and cherry tomatoes.

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Cowboy caviar

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Not just for fans of the team from Dallas, cowboy caviar is sort of like a Tex-Mex pico de gallo. This version from The Pound Dropper combines black-eyed peas, black & pinto beans, tomatoes, corn, a mix of bell peppers, jalapenos, red onion, and cilantro with a dressing made of fresh lime juice, vinegar, chili powder, and cumin. Eat it with tortilla chips, or just a fork!

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Edamame

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De-shelling and eating snacks is a spectator tradition—think peanuts and sunflower seeds—so why not add an even healthier option with edamame? Peanuts are an excellent source of protein, and sunflower seeds contain a surprising amount of vitamins and minerals, but edamame is the whole package: low in calories and high in protein, vitamins and minerals, and antioxidants…and they’re the most fun (and tastiest, in our opinion) of the trio. Umami Girl can show you how to make a five-minute, four-ingredient, chili-salted version.

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Fruit salad

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A salad isn’t much of a snack (it’s more of a side or meal), but a fruit salad is because it’s basically just a bunch of cut-up fruit. You probably don’t need a recipe for this one, as it’s really just about putting together your favorite team of fruits—like pineapple, strawberries, cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon, grapes, and mango.

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Guacamole

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Ah, the avocado. Purveyor of fiber and nutrients. Master of antioxidants. Offerer of omega-3s. And it’s easy to serve, whether sliced or mashed. Guacamole can go atop nachos, be tossed in a salad, or served as a simple yet satisfying dip alongside tortilla chips. Buy it pre-made, or make it at home with this recipe from Love and Lemons.

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Hard-boiled eggs

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Deviled eggs are decently healthy, but almost every recipe calls for mayo. Skip the extra ingredients and extra steps, and instead opt for classic hard-boiled eggs. Don’t know how? Simply Recipes can give you the play-by-play.

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Hummus

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Chickpeas, a.k.a garbanzo beans, are chock-full of protein, fiber, manganese, copper, folate, magnesium, phosphorus, and numerous other vitamins and nutrients—which means you can get all these benefits from hummus. Plus, this Middle Eastern dish is a tasty, crowd-pleasing dip for crackers, chips, bread, and veggies. Cookie and Kate can show you how to make it at home.

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Kale chips

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Potato chips—even the baked varieties—aren’t healthy, but they’re game-day regulars. The same goes for tortilla chips. But what if the chips were made out of healthy food…or even a superfood?! Enter kale chips, which sound sort of weird at first, but they totally work. Try this “no-fail” sea salt and garlic version from The Busy Baker, which requires only 2 tsp of olive oil.

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Popcorn

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Popcorn is a great snack because even if you end up mindlessly eating it while watching the big game, you won’t have consumed too many calories. Three cups of popped popcorn (not including any added butter or oil) only have about 90 calories, 2 mg of sodium, and 1 gram of fat, but boasts 3 grams of both fiber and protein.

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Roasted chickpeas

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If hummus isn’t your thing, keep the chickpeas whole and roast them until crunchy. This recipe from Vegan Heaven calls for just five ingredients: chickpeas, olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and salt. (Or make them in your air fryer to use even less oil!)

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Shrimp cocktail

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Nothing to change here; a shrimp cocktail is actually one of the healthier options you might find as part of a typical gameday spread. Since they’re not fried or deep-fried, each shrimp only has about 8 calories or 14 calories for linebacker-sized jumbo shrimp. Add just a few calories more for each dip or dab of cocktail sauce, and you’re still in the healthy zone—especially with the benefit of about 1 gram of protein per shrimp!

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Skinny tzatziki

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Tzatziki is relatively diet-friendly already, but this recipe from Skinnytaste eliminates the oil to make an even healthier dip. Spread it on fresh-baked bread, or pair it with an assortment of veggies.

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Stuffed mini peppers

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These stuffed mini peppers from Fifteen Spatulascontain two types of melty cheese, so they’re not as healthy as some other entries in this list—but when you think of them as an alternative to potato skins, they’re a big improvement. The cheeses used are parmesan and goat, and aside from that, the only other ingredients are garlic, jalapenos, pepper, and a bit of olive oil. As for the peppers themselves, they are rich in vitamin C, capsaicin, and other nutrients.

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Turkey roll-ups

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Instead of serving bulky, filling wraps, you can snack-ify this dish by slicing it up. The trick to holding together the layers of turkey, cheese, lettuce, and tomato wrapped in a soft tortilla? Adding a layer of cream cheese, according to Culinary Hill.

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Veggies + dip

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Sliced raw veggies always try to sneak their way into Super Bowl spreads. (Sometimes, orders of wings even come with carrots and celery!) And why not? If you’re going to be endlessly snacking, you might as well graze on peppers, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, or other healthy veggies. If you need some dip to make it more palatable: make that play call.

22 healthy snacks you can make on gameday (2024)

FAQs

What are easy snacks for sports teams? ›

Create trail mix using pretzels, dry cereal (whole grain), nuts, and dried fruit. Layer deli turkey, fresh veggies and mustard on a whole-wheat tortilla. Roll it up and cut into snack-sized pieces. Make a sandwich on whole-wheat bread using deli turkey, nut butter or sunflower butter, or reduced fat cheese and veggies.

What are good snacks? ›

Healthy Snacks
  • Apples (dried or cut into wedges), 1 medium or ¼ cup (35 grams)
  • Bananas, 1 medium.
  • Raisins, ¼ cup (35 grams)
  • Fruit leather (dried fruit puree) without added sugar.
  • Carrots (regular carrots cut into strips, or baby carrots ), 1 cup (130 grams)
  • Snap peas (the pods are edible), 1.5 cups (350 grams)
  • Nuts, 1 oz.

What are low sugar snacks for athletes? ›

If you are forced to eat from the vending machine, avoid snacks with a lot of sugar because this will cause you to crash and burn as your blood sugar rises and falls. Look for crackers and peanut butter, Fig Newtons, baked chips, low-fat popcorn, or a granola bar.

What are the best snacks for kids playing sports? ›

Granola bars, crackers, pretzels, and popcorn are crowd favorites and offer plenty of carbs for energ. Even some sweets, like fig bars, animal crackers, or oatmeal cookies can be good options. Look for lower-sugar snacks made with whole grains to give your child's sports team a nutritious treat.

What are the best snacks for sports team members? ›

Healthy snack ideas
  • orange slices.
  • bananas.
  • apple slices.
  • disposable cups filled with berries.
  • mini boxes of raisins.
  • grapes.
  • small bags of carrot sticks.
  • fruit kebabs on wooden skewers.

What food is best for sports? ›

include a wide variety of foods like wholegrain breads and cereals, vegetables (particularly leafy green varieties), fruit, lean meat and low-fat dairy products to enhance long term nutrition habits and behaviours. enable the athlete to achieve optimal body weight and body fat levels for performance.

What are the 7 sensible snacks? ›

Take snacks to go:
  • String cheese.
  • Dried fruit.
  • Granola bars.
  • Whole grain crackers.
  • Trail/Cereal Mix.
  • Graham Crackers.
  • Box of raisins.
  • Baby carrots.

What are quick, healthy snacks? ›

10 quick and easy healthy snack ideas
  • Blueberries and yoghurt. Combine a small handful (40g) of blueberries with a small pot (125g) of plain low-fat yoghurt. ...
  • Apple and peanut butter. ...
  • Cottage cheese and tomatoes on a rice cake. ...
  • Banana on toast. ...
  • Red pepper and hummus. ...
  • Dried apricots and almonds. ...
  • Avocado on crispbread. ...
  • Crumpet.

What is the cheapest healthiest snack? ›

10 Nutritious and Portable Snacks Under $1
  • Popcorn. ...
  • Low fat Greek yogurt or cottage cheese. ...
  • Raw vegetables. ...
  • Hard boiled eggs. ...
  • String cheese. ...
  • Dry cereal. ...
  • Dried fruit. ...
  • Peanut butter. Nut butters, whether they be peanut, almond or sunflower, are both delicious and extremely portable.
Aug 16, 2022

What foods are 100% sugar-free? ›

Seafood, pork, beef, and chicken are all sugar-free. They're also an important source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids. If you don't eat meat, soybeans, lentils, beans, nuts, and seeds are great sugar-free, high-protein foods.

What's a good snack with no sugar? ›

Best snacks for a no sugar diet.
  • Banana Oat Energy Bars. Grated carrots and apple combine with mashed banana, unsweetened applesauce, rolled oats, and chopped peanuts. ...
  • Quick Black Bean Hummus. ...
  • Gourmet Microwave Popcorn. ...
  • Hatch Chile Salsa. ...
  • Baked Tortilla Chips. ...
  • Guacamole. ...
  • Roasted Chickpeas. ...
  • Super Easy Hummus.
Aug 30, 2021

What are quick healthy snacks for kids? ›

Instead of highly processed snack foods, snack time is a great time to offer your child whole foods that provide energy and nutrition.
  • 28 healthy snack ideas for your kids. ...
  • Yogurt. ...
  • Popcorn. ...
  • Celery with peanut butter and raisins. ...
  • Nuts. ...
  • Trail mix. ...
  • Sliced pears with ricotta cheese. ...
  • Cottage cheese.

What food for all day sports? ›

Focus on carbohydrates for energy.

Choose whole-grain breads, crackers, cereals, pasta and potatoes at meals and snacks for lasting energy. Save sports drinks to help replenish fluids during endurance sports or training sessions lasting more than an hour.

How many snacks should an athlete eat a day? ›

Try to eat every 3-4 hours. Most athletes eat only 2-4 times a day. By eating 3 meals and 2-3 snacks daily, you can gain lean tissue, maintain energy levels and recover at an optimal rate. You can't afford to skip meals because you need to maintain your energy level.

How to pack team snacks? ›

Use a sandwich-size plastic bag and fill each side with a portion of different food. The possibilities are endless: cheese cubes and crackers, grapes and pretzels, raisins and wheat crackers — you get the idea.

What is easy food for tournament? ›

32 Appetizers and Snacks for Tournament Time
  • Cast Iron Buffalo Chicken Dip. This show-stopper recipe comes with healthy alternatives. ...
  • 10-Minute Nachos. ...
  • Slam-Dunk Snack Mix. ...
  • Cheesy Monkey Bread. ...
  • Hawaiian Bread Pull-Apart Sandwiches. ...
  • BBQ Chicken Pull-Apart Pizza Bread. ...
  • Cheesy Pizza Bread Bowl. ...
  • Beer and Cheese Dip.

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