Fall into good health with these tailgate recipes and holiday goodies

You’ve been doing your best to eat a healthy diet most days, but the fall season presents many potential challenges to your good habits. Try some easy switches to create holiday and tailgate recipes that are delicious and nutritious.

Yes, believe it or not, you can make healthy food swaps that will be tantalizing to your taste buds—and keep you fueled up to cheer on the Tigers or Green Wave on Saturday, the Saints on Sunday, and all the games in between! Small changes can make a big difference.

Simple swaps you can sneak into recipes

Making healthy choices doesn’t have to be complicated. You can often switch out an ingredient or two to make a dish better for you without drastically affecting its taste. Try these swaps:

• Instead of regular sour cream, use Greek yogurt or blended cottage cheese.
• Instead of a cup of whole milk, use a cup of low-fat or fat-free milk plus a tablespoon of olive oil.
• Instead of cream cheese, use Neufchatel or “light” cream cheese.
• Instead of full-fat cheese, use low-fat or fat-free versions. Goat cheese, feta and mozzarella are lower fat varieties.

While you might notice a difference in flavor when eating these foods on their own, they’re usually masked by other flavors when included in a recipe. Changing them out for options lower in saturated fat, added sugar and excess sodium can help you prevent high blood pressure, heart disease and other chronic health conditions.

Looking for another way to make your recipes healthier? Mix in some veggies! Diced peppers, onions and even carrots can up the nutritional value of many foods (such as dips or sauces) without affecting their taste.

Choosing nutritious store-bought foods

Need to pick up items at the grocery store for your next gameday tailgate? Fill your cart with healthier options:

• Instead of white bread, choose sprouted grain or sourdough, or think outside of the bread box with lettuce wraps.
• Choose baked versions of tortilla or potato chips or those with fewer ingredients.
• Choose low- or zero-sugar varieties or flavored water instead of sugary drinks such as soda and fruit juice.
• Instead of cookies and other baked goods high in sugar, look for options lower in sugar and higher in fiber, such as graham crackers or ginger snaps.
• For your famous pasta salad, toss the white pasta aside and choose whole-grain pasta or a vegetable, lentil or chickpea pasta instead for added protein and fiber.

Whenever you’re buying prepared foods, look for those that contain a minimal number of ingredients and are prepared in a healthy way, such as baking instead of frying.

A few quick and easy food suggestions

Need a few more foods to round a gameday gathering? Try these suggestions:

• Fresh fruit with melted dark chocolate as a dip
• Hummus, salsa or guacamole with baked tortilla chips or raw veggies
• Grilled kebabs made with only veggies, or you can add some shrimp or chicken for some extra protein that’s lower in fat
• Baked potatoes with a topping bar filled with salsa, veggies, beans and low-fat cheese

These are a few ideas, but the sky’s the limit when it comes to healthy tailgate and party foods this fall! Consider the event and plan accordingly. For a noon game, you might want to serve breakfast tacos filled with veggies, salsa and low-fat cheese in whole-grain tortillas.

Simply must have Buffalo chicken dip? Just give it a healthier spin! Instead of cream cheese, swap in Greek yogurt and cottage cheese. Spice things up without fatty sauces or dressings. Your health will thank you.

Has it been a while since you had a checkup? Schedule an appointment with a primary care provider to keep an eye on your health this fall. Find one here.