My friends at Weight Watchers shared this article and I thought it had a lot of great tips for surviving March Madness and any sporting event or party.
Making Sense Out of March Madness Munchies
Whether scoring a seat at the big game or cheering the favorite team at home, chances are March Madness celebrations will be teamed with the March munchies. Don’t panic, with Weight Watchers® as your head coach, parties will be a slam dunk - even under pressure! Weight Watchers shares the following sensible selections for enjoying the season without jumping through hoops:
Hot Dog vs. Hamburger
In a one-on-one game, the hamburger takes the game but when it comes to this duo; it’s size that matters. A quarter-pound hamburger (hold the cheese and mayo) comes in at around 420 calories (or about 10 POINTS value) while a foot-long dog (hold the chili) weighs in at nearly 500 calories (or 12 POINTS value). SlimSize to the regular size and the burger reduces to a little over 250 calories (6 POINTS value) and the hot dog comes in at about 300 calories (8 POINTS value). An average hot dog on a bun is about 400 calories (8 POINTS value); but up the order to a foot-long and the calorie count nearly doubles at 700 (14 POINTS value).
Nachos vs. French Fries
A serving of nachos with cheese has about 400 calories (or 9 POINTS value) while a large order of French fries has an even bigger bang at nearly 600 calories (13 POINTS value).
Peanuts vs. Pretzel
A fistful of peanuts packs a calorie load of about 170 calories (4 POINTS value); whereas a baked soft pretzel with salt and mustard comes in at about 350 calories (6 POINTS value).
Light Beer vs. Beer
A regular beer (12 ounces) is about 150 calories (or 3 POINTS value). Go with the same size of a light beer and that comes down to around 100 calories (or 2 POINTS value). But this is another choice when size tells the bigger story. Most stadiums serve glasses of beer that contain a lot more then 12 ounces and it’s easy to have more than one. Drinking a sizeable amount of beer – whether it’s regular or light – can put calories on the scoreboard in a New York minute.
To help avoid an overload on calories, Weight Watchers also recommends the following March Madness Maneuvers:
- Pre-Game Meal: Eat something small before heading out, such as a salad or a bowl of soup. With a fuller stomach, there will be less temptation to overeat during the game.
- Benefit from Bad Parking and Nose Bleed Seats: Parking a couple of blocks from the arena may not seem ideal, but it’s a great opportunity to get in some exercise. Add in some steep stairs to those upper level seats and incorporate an aerobic work out that’s good for the heart and the waist line.
- Divide and Conquer: Share a favorite indulgence with a friend. This tactic still allows room for a favorite treat, but at half the calories and price!
- Bring Some Healthy Snacks Along: If the stadium or venue permits, bring some healthy snacks from home to avoid calories and costs! Some great options include dried fruit, air-popped popcorn, rice cakes, trail mix, and chopped veggies.
- Half Time Work-out: If hosting guests at home, engage in a friendly game of basketball at half time. This will help to pass the time between halves while burning a few calories in the process.
- Tailgating/Pre-partying: When attending a tailgate or pre-game party, prepare and bring a healthy dish and/or beverage. This is a great way to ensure having healthy options on the sidelines that stay within diet parameters.
