This weekend, AFL fans will be buzzing with excitement (or anxiety!) over the Grand Final, but between the pies, the pints and the parties, it’s easy to end up feeling worse for wear. So, is it possible to have a healthier Grand Final? Here are 5 tips from dietitian CHARLOTTE ROWLEY to keep you feeling good, even if your team doesn’t win.
1. Get your pre-game plan in action
Whether you’re going to a mate’s house, hosting the game at yours or heading to the pub, when the game is on, your attention will not be on what you are eating. Instead, focus on what you eat before the game. A healthy breakfast means you’ll be getting some good nutrients in before those delicious but nutrient-poor party pies and sausage rolls. A balanced meal with protein and carbs will help you feel full for the first few hours (perhaps reducing how many party pies you reach for) and give you the energy to keep cheering on your team. Think Greek yoghurt with berries or scrambled eggs on wholegrain toast.
2. DIY a healthy platter
Sure, homemade sausage rolls might not be the nutritional powerhouse that a kale salad is, but they are definitely healthier than bought sausage rolls, and they often taste better too! Where possible, try to make your favourite finger foods at home.
Even if you can’t do that, space out your less healthy foods with some nutritious, delicious choices too. A platter of mini sausages and cheese and crackers combined with veggie sticks, hummus, fresh fruit and homemade popcorn means that in between those party pies, we might also get some nutrition-dense, low-energy foods too. That’s what balance is all about!
3. Set a drinking limit
It may be unrealistic to say you’ll get through the weekend without having a drink, so a better option might be to set a limit. Planning how many drinks you’ll have in advance makes it easier to moderate your intake on game day. If you are planning to cut down, or know you might get carried away, having “spacer” drinks, including water, can help you slow down your intake and stick to your plan. Alternatively, swap to low-alcohol drinks for the night, or after a certain number of alcoholic drinks. These are getting better and better as more people opt to abstain from drinking, so if you haven’t tried one in a while, take this as your sign to give it a go.
4. Keep it moving
It’s easy to spend the weekend on the couch with your only exercise being yelling at the screen. Try to break up those long periods of sitting with some movement before the game starts (maybe a walk in the beautiful sunshine we are enjoying this week?) and use the quarter and half time breaks as your sign just to get up and move around. After the game (or perhaps the day after) why not indulge in your AFL fever with a footy game of your own with friends or the kids?
5. Sleep it off
I know, I know – sleep is the last thing on your mind at the moment, but it’s going to be really important in your post-game recovery plan. Having poor sleep can actually increase your blood glucose levels, so it’s worth giving yourself a bit more time to catch up if you have a big weekend.
