Healthy Tailgating recipes with Nutrition Stripped

Tailgating goes hand in hand with grilling out ‘football foods’ which are typically loaded with calories, heavy on our digestion, and often inflammatory. But they don’t have to be! These simple and healthy recipe swaps are all whole foods based, meaning they’re high in fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, and taste delicious.

I challenge you to try one of these recipes the next time you share a meal with friends. — McKel

McKel Hill, MS, RD, LDN is an internationally known Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Founder of Nutrition Stripped.

Nutrition Stripped is one of the top healthy living websites including whole food recipes, meal plans, cooking videos, nutrition advice, t-shirt line of wearable healthy inspirations, and an incredible community of millions of people who are inspired to live a healthier, happier, and more radiant life.

Simple Grilled Vegetable Skewers

A delicious simple vegetable and fruit skewer recipe with a citrus sauce.
Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 25 mins | Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1-2 large yellow squash chopped
1 cup chopped red pepper
1-2 large zucchini chopped
2 cups white mushrooms, leave whole
Options if adding fruit:
1 cup chopped peaches
1 cup chopped pineapple
1 cup halved strawberries
Sauce
Juice of 2 lemons
1 tablespoon orange zest
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon maple syrup
½ teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

In assembling the skewers, alternate a piece of vegetable with a piece of fruit (if using) on each skewer until you're left with about 3 inches of wood skewer at the bottom for handling. On a large plate, line up all of the finished vegetable and fruit skewers and lightly drizzle with olive oil just to grease. Transfer on to a medium-hot grill surface and grill for about 20 minutes or until fork tender.

Prepare the dressing in a blender or using a whisk. Combine all ingredients until emulsified, blending is the quickest and ensures easy combining. Once the vegetable and fruit skewers have been on the grill for about 20 minutes or until fork tender with a light char, take off the heat and immediately pour the sauce on top and serve hot. The skewers can be enjoyed at "room temperature" especially if you're outside, but enjoying hot-warm is the best.

6 Layer Tempeh Taco Dip

Taco tempeh is a fantastic vegetarian friendly alternative to ground beef used in taco dishes. It's rich in nutrition and tastes great.
Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 20 mins | Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 can refried beans
12 oz cheese/cheese substitute
1 package of organic Tempeh (seasonings listed below)
1 package of organic tempeh (about 1 cup), cubed and diced
1 small sweet onion (about ½ cup)
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 Tbs. of taco seasoning OR the following spices: 1 Tbs. chili powder, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, ½ teaspoon paprika, ¼ teaspoon of onion powder, ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes
1 avocado
1 cup shredded greens
Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
Filtered water as needed to thin out the mixture

Tempeh Prep Instructions:

Take the tempeh out of the package and cut into small cubes. In a large pan, sauté the onion and garlic with a small amount of coconut oil just to grease the pan. When the onions and garlic have become soft, add in the spices OR taco seasoning of choice. Add cubed tempeh. Take a fork to the cubed tempeh and gently press down creating a crumble texture (similar to ground beef). Add water to combine the spices with the tempeh and cook until water and mixture has become thickened.

Dip Instructions:

Layer from the bottom up starting with the refried beans. Next is the cheese layer, and if you’re non-dairy, use Classic Cashew Cheese or a vegan cheese such as Daiya, Trader Joe’s Vegan Mozzarella, TEESE, or Follow Your Heart. Pro-dairy eaters can opt for light cream cheese. Layer three is the prepared taco Tempeh, followed by Lemon Lime Guacamole or simply mashed avocado with lime juice, sea salt and black pepper to taste. Top with any organic salsa you enjoy and then finish with shredded greens.

Southwest Three Bean Dip

A creamy three bean dip using chickpeas, black beans, and kidney beans with southwestern spices and the superfood, maca.
Prep time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

1 cup chickpeas
1 cup black beans
½ cup kidney beans
½ cup fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 tomatoes, diced
½ red onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons Organic Burst maca
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
Dash of cinnamon
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions:

If using canned beans, rinse thoroughly. Combine all the beans, tomatoes, garlic, and spices in a food processor. Pulse until combined. In a large mixing bowl, pour the pureed beans into the bowl with the remaining ingredients. Stir with a spoon until mixed. Adjust seasonings to taste. Originally developed for my good friends at Organic Burst.

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites and Ranch Dip

A vegetable in disguise! Buffalo Cauliflower is a perfect vegan/vegetarian alternative to classic buffalo dishes.
Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 40 mins | Serves: 10
 

Ingredients:

1 large head of cauliflower (about 5-6 cups raw)
½ cup almond milk (or of choice)
½-1 cup water (more to create a thinner coating)
¾-1 cup red hot sauce (I used Frank's)
¾ cup gluten-free all purpose flour
1 tablespoon butter (grass-fed or vegan)
2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
Dash of cayenne pepper
Ground black pepper and sea salt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450˚ F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and well greased with coconut oil or other. If you don't have coconut oil or a liner for the baking sheet try placing a cooling rack a standard baking sheet. You'll eventually put all of the cauliflower bites on top of the rack, allowing them to cook through with less sticking. Cut cauliflower head into small bite-sized pieces.

Instructions for Coating:

Mix flour, milk, water, and spices into a small bowl. Dip each cauliflower floret into this flour mixture (This is the step where you can either make the batter thick or thin by using less/more water respectively. I enjoy it on the thinner side so I choose to add more water). Lay on baking sheet in an even layer to ensure baking all around. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Instructions for Buffalo Sauce:

In a small saucepan melt the butter and hot sauce, bring to a simmer and remove from heat. After the cauliflower bites have baked, pour the buffalo sauce mixture onto the bites. Stir until each cauliflower bite has been coated in the sauce. Bake for another 10-15 minutes.

Get the Dairy Free Ranch Dip recipe at NutritionStripped.com

Cheezy Polenta Jalapeño Poppers with Mango Salsa

A healthy twist on traditional high calorie jalapeno poppers. Gluten free, dairy free, and low calorie.
Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 30 mins | Serves: 12

 

Ingredients:

12 jalapeno peppers, halved and seeds/membranes removed
¼ cup polenta (prepared from package directions, organic polenta)
¼ cup nutritional yeast
1 Tbs. dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp. cumin
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. sea salt (to taste)
ground black pepper to taste
Coating
1¼ cup almond meal
1 Tbs. cornmeal (a.k.a. uncooked polenta)
1 egg
1 tsp. cajun seasoning mix (I like McCormick or Penzeys Spices cajun blend)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Lightly grease a baking sheet (I use coconut oil). In a small mixing bowl, whisk the egg. In another bowl, add almond meal and cajun seasoning together. Mix the prepared/cooked polenta, spices, nutritional yeast, etc. in a bowl until combined.

Instructions for Filling and Assembly:

Taking a half of a jalapeño at a time, fill the center with filling mixture. Next, dip into the egg wash and follow by immediately dipping into the almond meal coating. Press to make the coating stick and place onto a baking sheet with the filling side facing up. Bake until golden brown on the top or about 30 minutes. Serve with Mango Salsa.

Get the Mango Salsa recipe at NutritionStripped.com