If you haven’t noticed, fall is rapidly approaching. Community pools are closing, weather is changing and nobody is allowed to wear white anymore. Where did summer go? WHAT HAPPENED?
Summer denial is best treated with the help of vivid autumn leaves, apple cider, Halloween – and football. Lots and lots of football. (The American kind.)
This particular sport’s viewing is synonymous with hardcore snacking. Mostly, because games are long and stressful to watch.
“Pass interference!?! C’mon ref!”
[Handful of super-loaded nachos enter mouth.] [Beer washes down nachos.]
Two things are for certain, the referee is not to blame for bad snacking, and shoveling Old El Paso refried beans covered in Velveeta cheese is not going to help any team win a championship. Neither will greasy chicken wings from the pizza place down the street. (Their slogan is “Pending health code violations!”)
If only there were a snack tough enough for a football fan, while being healthy enough to stress eat. Wait a minute…
(You know where this is going.)
Jerky. High in flavor – low in calories. This is the snack of champions. A snack that pairs perfectly with beer, cheese and watching the team you love throw an interception to lose the big game. Here’s why making the switch from your buddy’s “mystery bean dip” to dried meat is worth it’s weight in Super Bowl rings.
1) Healthier
There are some huge football fans out there… as in – there are fans who are 85% beer belly. Beer-bellies with ears basically. These fans have become trapped in the mundane snacking habits of a long-time pigskin aficionado.
Popular dishes include: buffalo wings (1700 calories per 12-wing order), seven-layer dip (200 calories per 2 TBSP… without chips) and meatball sub sandwiches (750 calories per six inches.) If you don’t know what those numbers in parenthesis mean – they mean saturated fat, cholesterol and stomach aches.
Healthier replacements for game-day favorites are abundantly available. Replace loaded nachos with spicy edamame. Substitute seven-layer dip for three-layer dip. Cut out the potato chips and add celery… or jerky.
Okay… that meat stadium is pretty cool though.
2) Kill the Mess
Let’s be honest… you’re friends are insane. They spill, knock-over and drop anything that could potentially ruin your chances at receiving your apartment’s security deposit. They’re animals. So why give them the opportunity to showcase their clumsiness? Would you rather watch the game, or spend your Sunday on your hands and knees scrubbing buffalo sauce out of your carpet?
Treat your football guests to a snack that is buffoon proof. Jerky – “it won’t stain your rug.”
(Can you honestly say this is going to end without OxiClean? …and what’s with the Brett Farve obsession? You need new friends.)
When it comes to game-day snacking, look no further. Jerky can be counted on for all of football’s disappointments. Whether it’s spicy, mild or something sweet, beef jerky is healthier than bean-dip, cheaper than chicken wings and near impossible to use as a means of ruining your sofa.
