Fortunately, we’ve got healthier options for you.

Football season is upon us and with that comes wings, beer and cheese. Even one day a week of extra eating and drinking can cause major setbacks for health and fitness goals. However, there are a couple things we can do to help minimize the damage that occurs during those Sunday afternoons. One of the most obvious is to stay active. Get up during commercials, half time or whenever possible. One simple way to do this is to keep all the food in a different room. That way, each time you need or want something to eat, you need to get up and move a little. The second tip is to watch the amount of calories that come from beverages. The amount of calories consumed from beverages is not often thought of as being a problem. An easy solution is to substitute even one alcoholic beverage or soda with water. Lastly, making better choices when it comes to the kind of food you eat during the game can help. Below you will find a few healthier (and still delicious) alternatives to try instead of the usual wings, dips and cheese platters.

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Lemon Drop Wings
• 1/2 cup vodka
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 1/2 pounds chicken wings, tips trimmed off

1. In a large bowl or re-sealable plastic bag, combine vodka, lemon juice, sugar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Stir to dissolve sugar and salt. Add the chicken wings and mix to coat. Cover bowl or seal bag and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 400°. Line a 9- by 13-in. baking pan with two layers of foil. Arrange the chicken wings in a single layer in the pan, and pour the marinade evenly over all. Bake until meat is well browned and pulling away from the bone, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Serve hot or warm.

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Zucchini Fries
• 2 zucchini
• 1 egg white
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
• Vegetable cooking spray

Preheat oven to 425°. Cut zucchini into 3-inch sticks. Whisk an egg white in a small bowl, and add milk. Combine Parmesan and seasoned breadcrumbs in a separate bowl. Dip zucchini sticks into egg mixture, and then roll in breadcrumb mixture. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray, and place zucchini on sheet. Bake for 25–30 minutes or until golden brown.

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Beef and Beer Chili
4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

• 1 1/2 cups chopped red onion (about 1 medium)
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper (about 1 small)
• 8 ounces extralean ground beef
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 (19-ounce) can red kidney beans, drained
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (14-ounce) can low-sodium beef broth
• 1 (12-ounce) bottle beer (such as Budweiser)
• 1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook 5 minutes or until beef is browned, stirring to crumble. Stir in chili powder, cumin, sugar, and salt; cook 1 minute. Add oregano and next 4 ingredients (through beer) to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in cornmeal; cook 5 minutes. Stir in juice.

Enjoy!