Tips For A Different Big Game Party
Everything continues to be somewhat different this year, including the big game on Sunday and traditional big game parties.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical advisor to the president, is warning sports fans against turning big game parties into COVID-19 spreader events.
Instead of large house parties, Fauci's advice is to "lay low and play it cool." He suggests keeping the party confined to the regular occupants of the home and don't risk mingling in a confined space with friends, relatives and neighbors who may be carrying the virus.
The benefit of smaller events could be a stimulus package of smaller grocery bills.
Big game party calorie consumption can surpass even the holidays. The Big Game appetizers and snacks, added to home isolation and less activity during the pandemic, could make it more difficult to shed the thousands of calories consumed on Sunday.
Here are some tips from Genesis to help you score physically, mentally and nutritionally on Sunday:
- Warm-up like the players. Go for a walk, go to the gym, clean the house for your pre-game. Halftime festivities take 40 minutes or more. That's enough time to burn off 250 or more calories on a treadmill, a bike, or on a brisk walk through the neighborhood.
- Choose healthier snacks. Make sure vegetables and fresh fruit are part of the game plan.
- Portion control. Pick the smaller plate and try everything you want, but take smaller portions.
- Replace soft drinks and beer with water.
- Don't "save'' calories. Don't skip breakfast or lunch before the game. You'll be too hungry by the time the first of about 70 beer and snack commercials come on the television and you'll be more likely to make bad food choices.
- Adjust the recipe. For example, use ground turkey for the chili and tacos. Use low-fat cheese and sour cream. Choose the low-fat dips and chips. Make a vegetable soup instead of chili.
The calorie consumption can increase quickly with these big game favorites and their approximate calories:
- 10 cocktail size sausages with barbeque sauce ... 360 calories
- 10-12 nacho chips with beans, beef, sour cream and cheese ... 600 calories
- 2 loaded tacos ... 700 calories
- 6 spicy chicken wings ... 440 calories
- 2 ounces of chips with dip ... 400 calories
- 3 light beers ... 330 calories
- 1 piece of chocolate cake (3 ounces) ... 312 calories
That is how you get to 3,000 calories, or about 1,000 more than the daily suggested calories.
If you do invite a few people to your party, consider COVID-19 precautions; masks, social distancing and make hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes readily available.
