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Tailgating at its core is a gathering of friends and family who share a passionate enthusiasm for a sports team, usually celebrated by enjoying delicious foods and drinks. Not only does this create excitement for the upcoming game, but it is also a complex community-building exercise that’s just downright fun. Tailgate food options can include anything from burgers and nachos to pizza and cupcakes. While it’s perfectly okay to indulge in these foods now and then, some people may want more nutritious options to snack on during tailgating season.
I’m one of those people and I want the best of both worlds—I want to meet my goals but I refuse to miss out on a fun opportunity to tailgate. Fortunately, the MyFitnessPal app made tracking my healthy tailgate snacks quick and easy, so I could still enjoy the moment. Since I have MyFitnessPal Premium, I utilized the barcode scanner to quickly log some hummus I was eyeing. No barcode? No sweat, there’s also a Meal Scan feature that uses your smartphone camera to suggest verified foods from their expansive database.
Before heading to the tailgate, I visited their blog, which has a bunch of mouthwatering and healthy tailgating recipes and the ones I chose were a hit (see my favorites below). With the Premium option, I was also able to make custom macronutrient goals (protein, carbs, fat) for game day, so I didn’t feel restricted. Overall, I highly recommend trying out the 30-day trial for MyFitnessPal Premium so you can use it during your next tailgate.
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MyFitnessPal Approved Healthy Tailgate Food
You may have heard the myth about healthy tailgate food being bland, tasteless, and boring. I’m here to tell you from experience that the recipes I made from MyFitnessPal were delicious and flavorful. The Recipe Discovery section of the app is where I found the Multigrain Blueberry Muffins recipe, which was an excellent choice for my early tailgate. Another feature of MyFitnessPal Premium is that it allows you to add the recipe right to your food diary. I also bookmarked the high-protein Slow Cooker Turkey and Bean Chili recipe for my next tailgate, which is a great healthy alternative to a classic.
Together, ACTIVE.com and MyFitnessPal have hand-picked the recipe for Chipotle Black Bean Burgers With Avocado Salsa to share with you. I had to try this quick and easy recipe because I love a good black bean burger and my vegetarian friends always appreciate having another option for them. Since these are made from scratch, they don’t have all the additives the premade brands tend to have. Not only are they packed with micronutrients like vitamin C and iron, but the avocado salsa packs such a flavorful punch that you won’t miss the cheese.
A Quick Look at MyFitnessPal
Sign Up for free 30-Day Trial of MFP Premium
Back in 2005 when Mike Lee developed the MyFitnessPal app, he probably didn’t think that he had just created what was to become the #1 nutrition and food tracking app. Initially, he wanted an app for himself to help him reach his health and fitness goals. MyFitnessPal is now widely used and highly recommended by fitness gurus, coaches, registered dietitians, and nutritionists.
And we can see why. MyFitnessPal allows you to easily keep track of your food, exercise, weight, and hydration in one place. They also support your goals by offering guided meal plans, recipes, and workouts led by experts. Logging meals has never been faster, thanks to the barcode scanner and the Meal Scan feature on MyFitnessPal Premium. Since MyFitnessPal is a customizable tool, it fits a variety of goals and lifestyles. I really like this app and it works great for me, because while sometimes I have a weight loss goal, other times I’m just trying to be mindful about what I’m eating.
Design and Display
The design and display of the app are really simple and straightforward. On the Dashboard, you can see a snapshot of your day, including your remaining macros or calories, steps, exercise, and weight progress. I like that each widget is interactive because you can easily access more details. The Diary section is where you log all your food and it always shows your remaining nutrients at the top. You can also customize it further in the settings. For example, I don’t track my water intake, so I removed that tracker for a more simplistic look.
The Newsfeed includes posts about your tracking and progress along with recipes, videos, and articles from their blog. The Plans section includes meal and workout plans and with MyFitnessPal Premium you’ll have access to more in-depth content. The last section, More, gives you access to the Recipe Discovery, Community, and other options.
Compatibility
While you can track using their website, the app is available for iOS and Android devices. MyFitnessPal is also compatible with other apps including cardio exercise apps, daily activity trackers, and scales to seamlessly log your weight. On their website or the app, you can find a full list and easily connect them to your account for a complete view of your health.
I use the Samsung Health App to track my workouts. Since I already record workouts using my watch, it was convenient to know I wouldn’t have to go into MyFitnessPal and add it again later, since it syncs automatically. MyFitnessPal is also compatible with Garmin Connect, Fitbit, and Apple health apps.
Features
When you set up your account, you can input your goal weight and choose how many pounds you want to gain or lose per week—or you have the option to maintain your current weight. Then the app generates your recommended daily caloric intake based on your age, sex, current weight, height, and activity level.
MyFitnessPal Premium takes it a step further by letting you customize your nutritional goals by grams or percentage, so you can set your macros for the day or by meal. In your Diary, you’ll see a more detailed breakdown of your protein, carbs, and fats instead of calories. There’s also a food analysis graph that includes foods that you’ve logged and their effects on your nutrition goals.
If you’re wondering if the upgrade to MyFitnessPal Premium is worth it, being able to scan my foods using the Meal Scan and barcode scanner are game-changers. Tracking foods manually can get very time-consuming and that can make it hard to get into the habit when you’re first starting out. If you’re having a busy day or at an event (ahem, tailgating), having a more convenient option that lets you track quickly will help you stick to your goals.
Content and Community
The MyFitnessPal app offers tons of content with valuable information for you to explore. This includes short videos of FAQs being answered by experts and workout plans. MyFitnessPal Premium has more coaching and content options to help you reach your targets. The Recipe Discovery section in the app has countless recipe collections from low-carb to vegetarian and they are continuously adding more to fit everyone’s needs. As a Premium member, I was able to view the recipe as I cooked and then add it directly to my Diary from the same screen.
The community section is a great place to post or read questions that have been asked about the app. People also share their experiences and recipe ideas along with tips and tricks that have worked for them. My favorite part is that you can interact with people from all around the world who share the same desire to lead healthier lives. Also, if you have friends who are using MyFitnessPal, you can add them to share your progress and hold each other accountable.
Usability
The Diary has a simple design, which shows each of your day’s meals and allows changes and additions right from that page. MyFitnessPal Premium has an even cleaner design since there are no ads. When logging food, you’re able to see a list of the most recent foods that you’ve tracked. Their vast food database of 14 million foods is tremendously helpful because it has so many food brands and options for counting portions. I prefer to measure in grams but if you prefer a more basic measurement option, you can log a medium size banana as opposed to using a food scale for a precise weight.
If you don’t use an app or tracking device for exercise, you can track your workout by choosing what type of exercise you did or you can select a workout routine from the app to add. Each day, you have the option to “complete” your diary. This gives a snapshot of where your progress would be in five weeks’ time if each day is identical to the day you’ve just completed. This is a nice way to check in and see if you need to make adjustments.
Best For
MyFitnessPal is best for anyone who wants to work on living a healthier lifestyle and building healthy habits. I really love this app because it allows you to set your own goals based on what living a healthier lifestyle means to you. Whether you want to exercise more regularly and drink more water or eat more nutritious foods, MyFitnessPal makes it easy to track your progress without judgment.
The added features of MyFitnessPal Premium only increase its customization to your needs and give you access to exclusive content to support your journey. The Recipe Collection alone has some really tasty meal ideas that are healthy and easy to make. Being able to personalize my macros for tailgating on game day or the upcoming holidays ensures that I stay on track and also gives me the flexibility to enjoy events and gatherings.
FAQs About Tailgating Snacks
What are some healthy tailgate snacks?
Some of my favorite healthy tailgate snacks are carrots and hummus, guacamole and tortilla chips, and baked chicken wings.
What are some healthy tailgating MFP recipes?
I recommend the Baked Parsnip Fries with Curry-Lime Yogurt Dip to go with the high-protein Norwegian Seafood Burgers, but the blog and Recipe Collection in the app have so many great options that you can’t go wrong.
How can I keep my nutrition on track during football season?
Using the MyFitnessPal app to set goals and log your progress is a great way to stay on track this football season. They also have some excellent ideas for healthy tailgating recipes and the MyFitnessPal Premium barcode scanner and Meal Scan features make it easy to track foods at your next tailgate without slowing down the party.
Is MyFitnessPal good for weight loss?
In short, yes! If you want to lose weight, you can input your goal and lifestyle information into the app and it will automatically generate daily caloric goals based on this information.
If you prefer more custom goals that include macros, subscribe to a 30-day trial for MyFitnessPal Premium for a weight loss program tailored to you.
About the Author
Rachael Gonzalez is a Staff Writer for ACTIVE. She spent five years in education before she joined the ACTIVE team in 2022. In this role, she is still able to make a positive impact on others by writing about something she loves: health and wellness.
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