Tailgating gets a bad rep. You think beer chugging and huge men with beer bellies slurping wing sauce, sausages and fries. Not to take all your fun out of it, but tailgating can still be tasty without all the high-calorie artery clogging. Yinz will be livid for me offering lighter options, but let’s be honest – the trick is in the trade. You don’t have to down hoagies on the sidelines like the Big Snack just to call it Steelers Sunday. In fact, I bet I  can make all of these swaps you wouldn’t even notice – unless I told you.

1. Baked, not fried.

I’m not saying you can’t have your wings and eat them too –  but instead of throwing them in that pit of grease to crisp up that chicken skin, try the oven. Before the invention of all these fun fryers, we used to bake all our chicken wings in the oven (or over a fire) on the grill – so go conventional. In fact, I know a lot of you take that charcoal with you to the parking lot so instead of all those uuuuuge burgers, grill the wins. I know it’s hard to step away from the Frank’s Red Hot, but try chopped garlic, olive oil and rosemary as a sauce and just try not to breath on your neighbor in the stadium (unless they’re a Ravens fan). At home? Try the air fryer. I’m secretly loving this one from Sam’s Club for only $139.

Check out this chicken lollipop recipe by Chef Josh Capon (my fave!).

2. Swap out the sauce.

As mentioned above, there are a lot of tasty sauces that don’t involve Ranch and regrets. In fact, salsa is your bestie. I love to substitute in Fresh Cravings Salsa as a sauce for many things – crockpot chicken (see recipe here!) at home, or just as a dip with your chips in the parking lot. I know that canned (questionable) cheese sauce is hard to ignore, but your cholesterol levels and pants will thank you. Another fix – use Frank’s Red Hot minus the butter (sigh, I KNOW but your heart will thank you!). I actually had a roommate who would melt Frank’s and butter in a mug in the microwave and DRINK it. You don’t get any more Yinzer than that. But – after the age of 22, that’s not okay anymore.

Check out this Salsa Deviled Egg Recipe (and photo!) by OnCarolynsPlate.

3. Make it fresh.

We yinzers love processed food (no offense, we do and probably so do you!). There’s a reason we love it – it’s meant to be addictive and tasty. I grew up with Walmart in my backyard in Colorado so I didn’t think about packaged chips, dips and processed items were bad. Plus, it was a fun change from all the seasonal veggies I was eating on the farm as a kid (green beans or Doritos – is there a question?). But as I grew up, I realized that fresh is best – like salsa. You can create fresh dips (or buy fresh make like Fresh Cravings Salsa!) that are just as tasty and exclude all the preservatives. Even making homemade buffalo dip and cheese sauces are better for you than buying in the store to avoid a lot of unnecessary filler and preservatives. So if you want the cheese dip, EAT THE CHEESE DIP – just make it yourself and use REAL cheese. No Velveeta allowed.

Check out this finger-food favorite for Taco Tuesday (or Taco Thursday night football) recipe and photo by Fresh Cravings.

4. Go Vegan and/or Gluten-Free

I am definitely getting smacked for even suggesting this to Yinzers, but here’s a fun secret. Using really good options and brands mean that you won’t even be able to tell the difference (Max has been eating pho chicken fingers on and off for years!). Using fun options like cauliflower crust and vegan beef crumbles on a pizza won’t expand your waistline (unless you eat the entire thing!) or cholesterol, and can still be a huge hit for the kids. Trust me, Max is one of the pickiest eaters I know. Another fun option? Try lighter gluten-free wraps or chickpea tortilla chips with hummus. Yes, they make chips out of almost anything these days. Even plaintains chips are better than potato chips. Just little swaps can help you feel better on Monday morning.

5. Deconstructed buffets

Big hearty deep-fried sammies (oh yes, in Pittsburgh we even DEEP FRY our sandwiches – whole) with sauce and (ahem) fries on it aren’t the best ways to stay awake for that 4th quarter drive. Make tailgating more fun with lots of little options instead of one – where you control all the items for a lighter fare. Kids will love piling their own plates with colors and snacks, and you’ll feel better knowing it’s not Doritos. This way you also don’t lose friends – they can pile high all the delicious goodies they want – and you’ll feel better about having healthier options for yourself. When you control the food spread, it’s easier to not be tempted.

But, you all – it’s Steeler Sunday and YOLO – so don’t feel like you can’t splurge a little. It’s just good to have things in moderation, as I say. So this gives you some options.

Check out this zucchini nacho recipe from Fresh Cravings Salsa.