Euro 2008

We might not get to cheer on the home nations this year, but many of us will be glued to the TV for Euro 2008.

Did you know that this June, if you’re dedicated, you could end up watching 31 matches in 23 days – that’s almost 50 hours of football. So check out our tips on how to make some healthy choices about what you’re going to eat and drink while you’re feasting on the footie.

Watching at home

If you’re planning on settling down in front of the TV to watch the football at home, you could plan ahead and buy some healthy food as part of your weekly shop. It could be more cost effective this way too.

If you have friends coming over, how about a vegetable curry with boiled rice, or a tasty chili with plenty of kidney beans?

Or you could go for burgers. You just need to choose a burger with lower saturated fat (check the label), and serve with wholemeal bread and plenty of salad. Have potato wedges instead of deep fried chips, or at least put the fryer away and choose oven baked!
If you’ll be watching as a family, the kids will love dipping bread sticks or sticks of pepper, cucumber and carrot into houmous or guacamole.

If you opt for a takeaway there are healthier options you could go for, such as tomato-based Indian sauces with vegetables or chicken, stir-fried Chinese dishes and plain boiled rice. Just don’t have fish and chips and deep fried prawn balls too often!

Out and about

The atmosphere can be great with a group of friends at the local pub or club, but the snack and meal choices tend to be limited.

Bagged snacks are often high in salt and fat, particularly saturated fat, but there are healthier options.

• Swap crisps for tortilla chips – tortilla chips are baked rather than fried and have a lower fat content.
• Give the pork scratchings a miss and go for unsalted peanuts. Pork scratchings can be high in saturated fat, whereas peanuts provide protein, vitamins and minerals.

And if you’re supplying the snacks, you could also go for homemade plain popcorn.
With matches not starting until the evening, you might have time to eat your evening meal at home even if you’re going out later.

If you do eat out, look for grilled meats and fish and tomato-based sauces if you go for pasta. Have boiled new potatoes or a bread roll instead of chips. And don’t forget to add some vegetables or a salad to your meal.

Going European?

To really get you into the swing of things, how about a snack from the home country of your favourite player, or the team you’ve picked to follow?
Group A

Czech Republic - česnečka

If you’re a big fan of Chelsea’s Petr Čech or Portsmouth’s Milan Baroš, you might want to try a taste of the Czech Republic. So why not serve up some garlic soup made with potato, onion and parsley and don’t forget a chunk of dark rye bread. With the garlic in this soup, you won’t need to add any salt, which should help keep your salt intake below the recommended maximum of 6g per day.

Portugal - piri-piri chicken

And for all those Ronaldo fans out there, why not add some Portuguese piri-piri sauce to chicken pieces for a hot and spicy snack. Serve it hot with a watercress salad and a hunk of rustic-style bread.

Switzerland - fondue

Arsenal fans might want to follow Switzerland in honour of Senderos. If you’ve invited a group of friends round to watch the game, you could go for some tasty fondue. This traditional Swiss dish is usually served in an earthenware pot called a caquelon over a small burner (a rechaud) for everyone to share.

Use a fork to dip some bread into the warm semi-liquid cheese. Go for lower fat cheeses or smaller amounts of strong tasting cheese. You could also try dipping boiled potatoes, red and green peppers, mushrooms or other vegetables.

Turkey - shish kebab

Newcastle fans might want to go Turkish (Emre). You could try threading small cubes of chicken on a skewer then grilling or roasting them. You can use any kind of meat but try to go for leaner cuts. You could also put some fruit or vegetables on the skewers. Good choices include aubergine, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions and mushrooms.
Group B

Austria - wiener schnitzel

If you’re backing Austria – maybe you’re a Middlesbrough fan and supporter of Pogatetz – you could serve up some veal fillets coated in breadcrumbs with a tasty potato salad. Fry the fillets in an unsaturated oil such as sunflower or olive oil and use a low-fat mayonnaise for the potato salad.

Croatia - buzara

Manchester City fans might want to support Croatia in honour of Ćorluka. Did you know that scampi can come without batter? This delicious Croatian scampi is softly cooked in a sauce of tomatoes, onion and spices.

Germany - currywurst

If you’re a fan of Chelsea’s Michael Ballack, you might be supporting Germany, then ‘currywurst’ is a tasty choice. It’s made from hot pork sausage with a curry sauce. Try to go for sausages that are lower in salt and saturated fat.

Poland - borscht

Southampton fans of Saganowski might be tempted by this tasty, colourful and healthy option. Borscht is a soup made with red beetroot, onions, garlic, and other vegetables such as carrots and celery or parsley roots.
Group C

France - traditional Breton-style crêpes

Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United fans might decide to support France. You could go for these tasty thin pancakes made from buckwheat. How about topping them with smoked salmon and dill; but don’t have too much smoked salmon because it’s high in salt. If you want a sweet pancake, you could go for some slices of fresh fruit and reduced fat crème fraîche.

Italy - pizza or pasta

If you decide to go Italian, choose a healthy, lower fat topping for your pizza, such as lots of vegetables and some ham, fish or prawns. If you choose pasta, go for a sauce based on tomatoes or vegetables, rather than cream. And try some tasty bruschetta instead of garlic bread.

Holland - stamppot

Manchester United’s van der Sar, Celtic’s Vennegoor of Hesselink, Melchiot from Wigan and Aston Villa’s Bouma might all be settling down to some tasty ‘stamppot’.

Literally ’mash pot’ in English, this traditional Dutch dish is made from a combination of potatoes mashed with sauerkraut, endive, kale, or carrot and onion. It’s usually served with sausage or stewed meat. Don’t forget to choose lean meat or sausages with less salt and fat to make it a healthier option.

Romania - fasole cu cârnaţi

Inverness Thistle fans of Niculae might want to go for this very popular Romanian dish. It’s made with baked beans and sausages. Remember to choose lower salt and sugar beans and lower salt and fat sausages to give this Romanian meal a healthier makeover.
Group D

Greece - horiatiki

Bolton fans of Stelios might be tempted by some ‘horiatiki’ or Greek salad with pita bread in honour of defending champions Greece. These are both healthier options, but remember that feta cheese can be very high in salt, so try to go for more salad and not so much cheese.

Russia - beef stroganoff

When you’re watching the Russians play, you could get in the mood with some beef stroganoff. This dish of thinly sliced lean beef fillet sautéed and mixed with onions, mushrooms, sour cream (go for a lower fat version), and herbs is often served on a bed of rice.

Spain - olives with Spanish cured ham

If you’re a Liverpool fan, you might be backing Spain, so why not serve up some olives with Spanish cured ham. It’s probably what Fernando Torres’ fans are eating back home. You could add a herby salad and crusty bread to make it an even healthier choice. But remember that cured ham and olives can be high in salt, so don’t have them too often.

Sweden - smörgåsbord

If you’re a Birmingham (Larsson) or Villa (Mellberg) fan, or a West Ham supporter of Ljungberg, when Sweden are taking to the field, you might want to serve up a buffet.

You could go for a three-course smörgåsbord of hot and cold dishes. Start off with cold fish dishes such as herring, salmon and eel; followed by more cold dishes such as sliced turkey, roast beef, sliced cheese, cucumbers and liver pâté on hard bread. Then round it off with hot dishes such as Swedish meatballs (köttbullar).

But remember it’s easy to overeat when you can keep going back to the buffet. So try to give yourself time between courses. To keep your friends safe and avoid food poisoning, don’t leave the food out for more than two hours.

Don’t just watch!

Why not use football fever as an excuse to get active yourself? Even a small amount of extra activity can help keep us healthy and feeling great.

You could walk to the pub instead of taking the bus, or use half time for a brisk walk and some fresh air. Even better, why not organise a pre-match game with friends or the kids in the garden, or meet up at the local park?

Drinking

Football and beer often go hand-in-hand, but with so many hours of football to watch, it’s easy to overindulge. It’s recommended that men drink no more than 3 to 4 units a day, 2 to 3 for women.

When you’re engrossed in the game, it’s easy to sip your way through more than you realise. Remember that bottled beers come in different sizes, so you might be drinking more than you think.

Don’t feel pressured by those around you to drink more than you want to. Skip a round or opt for a soft drink – how about a sparkling water with a slice of lemon or lime?
Wherever you’re watching and whatever healthy options you choose – vegetable curry or tortilla chips, Greek salad or low-alcohol beer – we hope you have a healthy and enjoyable Euro 2008!