Tag Archives: football

The Body, Diet, and Feud Fueling the Katy Perry Half-time Show

katy-perry-college-gameday

Some of us are excited for the Seahawks to play the Patriots, some of us are excited for the commercials, and some of us are just excited for a free Katy Perry concert! That’s right, Miss California Gurl is performing the half-time show this year, and much anticipation surrounds this headliner. There have been lots of rumors surrounding Perry lately, and here we discuss what we might expect to see at the show — and of course, how she has kept in shape for the big game.

Perry’s half-time body

Perry has tweeted quite a few hilarious pictures of herself lately, though none accurately depict her true form. She and footballer J.J. Watt graced the cover of ESPN Magazine. Perry is looking stunning for her big gig, and it has been reported that she has been on the 5-Factor Diet to stay in top-notch shape for the big game. The 5-Factor Diet is a lifestyle that focuses on small meals and all of the food groups. Seems like Perry has been munching on a classic diet of veggies, whole-grains, and protein, as well as 25 minutes of exercise a day. Perry looks perfect and we are sure her performance will blow us all away.

Posted on January 28, 2024 by Jessica Tholmer

Eat Like a Patriot: Winning Recipes for New England’s Big Bowl Game

patriots-recipes

The 2024 Super Bowl lineup was decided last night, as the AFC and the NFC champions were named. The New England Patriots will meet the Seattle Seahawks on February 1 in Glendale, Arizona for Super Bowl XLIX. These names have been main-stays in the NFL championship line up in recent years, so we ought to have their fan-favorite menus down pat!

Now, unless you’re playing as hard, and working out as much, as the guys on the field, you probably don’t need to consume thousands of calories by way of queso, chips, burgers, and beer. Sure, it’s fun, but it’s possible to have all of that food enjoyment without the disastrous calorie bloat that won’t make anyone MVP.

Serve these healthier recipes inspired by the Patriots hometown roots. They look and taste just as good as their original versions, but will save you from going overboard on the second biggest food holiday of the year.

sam adams summertime lemonade

HOW TO EAT LIKE A PATRIOTS FAN (more…)

Posted on January 19, 2024 by Natalie K

Eat Like a Seahawk: 8 Super Snacks for Seattle’s Big Game!

seahawk-menu

We’re on our way to the big game, Seattle! Now what? It’s time to send out the invites, place your bets, and hit the kitchen in an effort to feed The 12th Man. How can you watch your waistline while still watching football?

We’ve put together some great dishes and halftime snack ideas that will make you feel just like you’re at CenturyLink Field, capturing all of Seattle’s favorite ingredients and restaurants…with a healthy twist!

Here are eight of our favorite football foods to help you cheer on the Seahawks to the big win:

Pork tacos (more…)

Posted on January 19, 2024 by Katie McGrath

Cheerleading is a Sport and Just as Much a Workout as Football

cheerleading

The impending autumn means one thing and one thing only for many people – the kickoff of football season. Millions will sit on bleachers and couches to watch the football players play their sport, cheering on their athleticism and strength.

But what about the dedicated athletes on the sidelines? Few people recognize it, and it’s been a point of contention for years, but the cheerleaders supporting the team are working just as hard as the players on the field.

“Football has historically been viewed as a very ‘manly sport,'” remarked our guest editor Dempsey Marks, a fitness expert and yoga trainer who founded DepmseyFit.com, about what separates football and cheerleading in people’s minds. “The sport itself is associated with toughness, pain, and even violence. And primarily football is played by men. [The sport] glorifies aggressive behavior, which society associates with men and masculinity.”

“Cheerleading has evolved from simple movements and cheers to a highly athletic undertaking, which requires strength, coordination, agility, and skill,” she added. (more…)

Posted on August 14, 2023 by Elizabeth

Dip and Devour! The Cheesy Black Bean and Sweet Corn Dip That Saved My Party

I have this bad habit of casually inviting people to my house for any number of reasons — most recently the big NFL bowl game — and not keeping any sort of track. So when Sunday morning rolled around for a recent football game, and texts and tweets confirming attendance started popping up, I panicked.

Of course I had no idea how many people I’d actually invited. In surveying the food I would serve, I was absolutely certain we’d all starve, everyone would go home hungry, and I’d be remembered for throwing the worst party ever.

black bean corn dip

I was in no mood to face the grocery store one more time that weekend, especially a couple of hours before kick-off. Certainly I had enough things on hand to whip up something… anything. This Cheesy Black Bean and Sweet Corn Dip was the result. I have made it three more times since then and am of the belief that I could solely eat this, and only this, for the rest of my days and I wouldn’t be mad at it.

I poured through my kitchen staples for something tasty, hearty, crowd-pleasing, and easy. This was so simple it only required that I crack open a can, rip open a bag, stir, bake, and eat. (more…)

Posted on February 24, 2024 by Natalie K

5 Top Athletes Prove Being a Pro Doesn’t Mean You’re in Perfect Shape

We look to professional athletes as the pinnacle of health and fitness. In many cases, however, that’s far from the truth. Professional athletes are a prime example of how someone can appear fit and healthy without either one being true.

We want to celebrate the athletes that who made the effort to lose unhealthy pounds or do more to be truly fit. In the long run, a healthy lifestyle is more beneficial than a pro sports career, and we think it’s great these athletes make the commitment to health and fitness.

Steve Atwater
As a two-time Super Bowl champion with the Denver Broncos, Steve Atwater was in peak physical condition. That changed after he retired and put on weight. Now, he has lost 21 pounds with Retrofit. He says his biggest hurdle to losing weight was his mind. “I knew I had a problem, especially when it came to large, multiple servings. I couldn’t resist. I knew I needed more discipline.” After joining Retrofit, he said the changes that led to weight loss were fairly easy. “It didn’t seem like I had done anything major. It didn’t really feel like dieting because I just made small adjustments.”

(more…)

Posted on February 12, 2024 by Elizabeth

8 Sinless Game Day Recipes for the Denver Broncos Fan

The words healthy eating and football food aren’t exactly synonymous. When you think of your typical game day fare, foods like buffalo wings, pizza, and nachos come to mind. In Colorado, we’re all about keeping a healthy lifestyle. The Centennial state has been named the thinnest state in the U.S. for several years in a row—but that doesn’t mean that we don’t like to indulge every now and then! It’s definitely possible to create some healthy alternatives using some of the ingredients that Colorado is known for, including green chiles, lean game meats, and even beer!

Since the Denver Broncos have made it to the big game this year, Coloradoans have something even more special to celebrate! Here are eight great recipes that include everything that Colorado does best.

These winners are sure to please the palate of the biggest Denver fans:

bisonburger

Bison Sliders
Bison has quickly gained popularity as one of the best burger making proteins. It’s a healthier alternative to beef and has the same delicious flavor. Blair from the Cookin’ Skinny blog shows you how to make the most delicious sliders that will please every beef lover at your table.

Denver Scrambled Eggs
Start off the morning of the big day with this take on the famous Denver omelet. Also known as the western omelet, this dish is believed to have been named by cooks working on the transcontinental railroad (but no one really knows!). This lighter version of the classic breakfast is simple to make, big in flavor, and can easily be enjoyed any time of day. (more…)

Posted on January 27, 2024 by Lauren Martin

Score a Win with Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad at Your Next Football Tailgate

Nothing is better than tailgating season. And nothing is better than buffalo-flavored anything at a tailgate. Which would then suggest that this Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad is the best food of tailgate season. At least that’s how our math works.

It’s that big, bold buffalo flavor that you love, in a less fatty serving.

We’ve taken everything you love about a big platter of wings, blue cheese dip, and fresh veggie sticks and tossed it all with whole grain penne pasta. Think of it as the buffalo chicken platter deconstructed.

buffalo chicken pasta ingredients

Frank’s Red Hot is kind of the definitive sauce for buffalo-flavored dishes, but we also like the new buffalo flavor from Tabasco. Any hot sauce will work, and you can use as little or as much as your fierce taste buds can handle.

Loaded with crisp, fresh veggies, you aren’t as likely to pass these over when they are tossed with the pasta. And rather than an endless bowl of blue cheese dip, which can run more than 500 calories alone, we give you a generous 1/2-cup shake of the crumbles. All the flavor for around 50 calories! (more…)

Posted on October 20, 2023 by Natalie K

The Aaron Rodgers Burger – Nobody Should Tackle This Gut Bomb

The National Football League, the most profitable and popular professional sports league in America, kicks off regular season play in less than a week. Six years ago, the NFL put its massive appeal to good use, founding the Play 60 program to tackle childhood obesity and encourage a more active generation of children. Most NFL media coverage is centered around head injuries, Fantasy Football, murder charges and twitter rants, but the league continues to make strides fighting the obesity epidemic with national activities for kids. However, when a few members of the Green Bay Packers had the opportunity to design their own hamburger recipes to be sold at Curly’s Pub in Lambeau field on game days, they did not have health on the brain and undermined the efforts of Play 60.

A Rodgers Burger

While Play 60 aims to get children to play for 60 minutes a day, anyone who eats the Aaron Rodgers burger will need to play for 120 minutes after they wake up from their food coma. The Aaron Rodgers burger does not come with an artery brush, but it should. Here’s what you get: bacon, swiss and havarti cheese, avocado, pickles, jalapeno, onion rings, mayo, ranch, and PEANUT BUTTER—all with a side of fresh Wisconsin cheese curds. Just like mom used to make—if she hated you. Peanut butter is a trending burger topping, but next to ranch, mayo, and avocado, it seems like a flavor rainbow from hell. (more…)

Posted on August 29, 2023 by Patrick

Pizza Stuffed Peppers For the Big Game

They say there’s a story behind every recipe and these peppers are no exception to that rule. After somehow deleting all of the photos I’d taken of these little beauties the first time I’d made them, I was consequently forced to make them again for this story. This would’ve been far more unfortunate had they not been so simple to prepare and so extremely delicious. I can attest to their robust flavor as I sit here eating one for lunch while writing this post.

Pizza inside a pepper – who would’ve thought? Not I. But they are certainly the best stuffed pepper I’ve ever tried.

On top of requiring minimal ingredients and coming together in about 40 minutes tops, they’re much healthier than eating an actual pizza. This is because a fiber-loaded bell peppers replaces the crust, and little whole grain bread cubes step in to mimic that “crunch” a thin crust pizza would have. (more…)

Posted on January 28, 2024 by Dana

16 Guiltless Recipes to Feed a 49ers or Ravens Fan

Many NFL fans can hang up their flag and pack up their T-shirts now, but the San Francisco 49er and Baltimore Raven fans still have work to do. There’s a big game to be played on February 3rd, also known as the second biggest eating day of the year!

That’s right, Americans consume more food in a 24 hour period on Super Sunday than they do any other day of the year, except the gorge-fest that is Thanksgiving of course. AdWeek suggests that tallies up to 27 billion calories for the lot! Whoa. Hold the football.

We’re all for indulgent days when they’re done a little more mindfully. That means, eat your pizza, your wings, your beer – just don’t take the worst possible option for each. Check-out our 16 healthier recipe ideas that suit the hungry palates of each team’s biggest fans – from sourdough in San Francisco to crab cakes in Baltimore. (more…)

Posted on January 23, 2024 by Natalie K