The top 5 diet pitfalls for sports fans

OK lads, it’s footy finals time and I hope your team is in the mix. It’s an exciting time of year, but it can also be a dangerous time if you are trying to keep your weight under control.

Following, is my list of five dietary pitfalls to be wary of while watching sport, so you can look more like the blokes playing and less like a couch potato.

- Hot dogs – You couldn’t get much further away from lean meat than with a red frankfurter. Loaded with salt and around 20 grams of fat, they also contain sugar, nitrites and a mixture of mystery fillers. You really have to ask yourself what it is you’re eating. It’s not called Frankenstein food for nothing. Add a bun made from white flour, cheese, sauces and other trimmings, and you have a food which, even moderation, is too much.
Better choice: A banana dog (a banana in a wholegrain bread roll)

- Potato chips and crisps - When it comes to the kilojoule and fat content of chips, the thinner the cut, the more fat they can potentially absorb. Around two thirds of the kilojoules from potato crisps come from fat and hot chips don’t fare much better. It would take around 50 minutes of moderate intensity walking to burn off a small serving.
Better choice: Air popped popcorn

- Soft drink - Extremely high in sugar and very low in nutrients, this is junk food at its worst. The phosphoric acid that gives soft drink its fizz is bad for your bones and the sugar plays havoc with your blood sugar levels. This will almost certainly trigger the release of insulin, the hormone that encourages your body to store fat. Frightening.
Better choice: Water

- Pies and sausage rolls - Meat pies and sausage rolls are full of fat, salt and kilojoules, and usually contain little meat, or meat of poor quality. The pastry is usually high in chemically altered vegetables fats (trans fats), making it a poor choice for your heart. In fact, a recent survey included both meat pies and sausage rolls in the top 10 trans fat containing foods from supermarkets and takeaway food outlets.  The level of trans fat was classified well above what's considered safe (containing more than two per cent trans fat).
Better choice: Toasted sandwich

- Beer – Footy and beer go hand in hand for many sports fans, however drink too much and you could develop a beer belly to match. Alcohol is loaded with kilojoules, increases your appetite, and reduces your willpower to say no to all junk foods associated with beer consumption, like pizza, kebabs, pies, cheese, dips and crisps.
Better choice: Low alcohol beers, trade off your beers with extra exercise.

What’s your downfall when watching a sporting contest? Do you have any tips to manage your weight when watching sport?