Navigating the Game Day Snack Table

healthy food on picnic table

If you’re carrying excess weight, you’ll understand immediately what this article is about. As much as the Big Game is fun and exciting, it can also be a source of stress since unhealthy snacks abound on Game Day.

It’s easy to feel left on the sidelines if you’re not sharing in the snacks. At the same time, you know that eating unhealthy snack food will make you feel crummy and isn’t getting you closer to your weight loss goals. For anyone looking to eat healthily, the Big Game can be difficult to navigate.

On top of snacks themselves, there’s the matter of what others will say to you about your eating choices. Whether it’s a passing observation, a small joke, or a cutting remark, it can be even harder to eat healthily when you’re under pressure from well-meaning family and friends. It’s a kind of food peer pressure that can make you feel trapped into eating foods you don’t want to eat.

When you’re worried about food or what others will say to you about food, it can eclipse the fun of being with friends and family. We at Eviva believe that your diet should never keep you from participating in the activities you love with the people you love. At the same time, we recognize that it’s hard to carry extra weight and even harder to take steps toward change, especially during certain types of events.

Every day, our holistic weight loss team made up of registered dietitians, and board-certified medical doctors works to help people lose weight and reclaim their lives. We offer ongoing support so that you’re never walking the path to weight loss alone. Here are some recommendations from our team that may make it easier for you to eat healthier during this week’s game:

  1. Trust yourself. All of us want to please our friends and family. It’s easy to give in to their well-meaning suggestions that you try their onion dip or to cave under their ribbing about eating a few chips. What’s important to remember is that it’s also okay to resist: it doesn’t make you a bad person or any less fun. Your health is important. Be firm about your boundaries and say, “No thanks, I’m okay.”
  2. Communicate with friends and family. Sometimes friends and family don’t realize that they’re being unsupportive, or they don’t know what you’d like them to be doing instead. Try saying something gentle that redirects them toward more constructive behavior. Say, “You know, I’ve been working hard at losing weight and being healthier, and I feel great. I would really appreciate your support.”
  3. Fill up on nutrient-dense foods. To keep temptation at bay, fill up on healthy snacks early on. We recommend lots of vegetables and lean proteins. If you think those won’t be available in the Big Game spread, bring your own snacks in plastic baggies. If you’re hungry throughout the game, it will be even harder to make healthy choices.
  4. Stay hydrated. Avoid the unnecessary calories from alcohol. Instead, we recommend drinking a big water bottle filled with cool water. It will keep you feeling full and hydrated.
  5. One day is not the end. The team here at Eviva is here to offer you unconditional support. If you wind up eating unhealthily during the Big Game, it’s not the end of the world. We’ll be here to get you back on track—we’re with you for the long haul.

This Game Day, we want you to be able to focus on the fun, not on the food. For more strategies for navigating stressful food situations or to talk about your weight loss options, call us today.