World Cup 2010

Whether you're a dedicated football supporter, or someone who just succumbs to football fever every four years, you're bound to be glued to the TV for at least some of the World Cup.

If you're really keen, you could watch 64 matches in 31 days – that's 96 hours of football, without counting extra time or penalty shoot-outs!

Although it might feel like you're eating and drinking football, you'll need some real food and drink too. So check out our tips on how to make some healthier choices about what you’re going to eat and drink while you’re feasting on the footie.

Hosting a World Cup party

If you're throwing a party for friends and family to watch a game, there are lots of tasty and healthy options you can tuck into as you cheer your team on. Why not serve a vegetable curry with boiled rice or a tasty chilli with plenty of kidney beans?

If it’s just nibbles, how about some tasty, healthier snacks, such as:

• low-fat dips (less than 3g fat per 100g) with vegetable sticks, bread sticks or mini pitta breads for dipping
• lower fat/salt crisps – compare labels so you can choose healthier varieties
• some easy-to-eat fruits, such as apples and grapes
• homemade plain popcorn – made in the pan from popping kernels

Sparking up the barbecue

If the weather's hot, you might choose to have a barbecue or eat outside but, regardless of how well your team is doing on the field, food poisoning could really spoil the fun — so good food hygiene is essential. During summer we are all at greater risk from food bugs. The warm weather means we have to take greater care not to leave food out of the fridge for too long.

You can minimise the risk by following these simple tips:

• wait until the charcoal is glowing red, with a powdery grey surface, before you start to cook — otherwise, you risk over-charring the outside while the inside stays raw
• wash your hands regularly and always after handling raw meat
• always make sure chicken, pork, burgers, sausages and kebabs are cooked until steaming hot all the way through — none of the meat should be pink and any juices must run clear
• if barbecuing lots of meat, it can be cooked in the oven first and then finished off on the barbecue for added flavour
• when reheating food on the barbecue, always make sure it's steaming hot all the way through before serving
• don't add sauce or marinade to cooked food if it has already been used with raw meat

Ordering a takeaway

You can still make a healthier choice if you opt for a takeaway — but remember not to eat them too often as they can be high in calories, fat, saturated fat and salt. Here are some practical tips to get you started:

Takeaway	Tip
Indian	Why not go for dry or tomato-based dishes such as tandorri or madras instead of creamy curries such as korma, passanda or massala. Choose plain rice and chapatti instead of pilau rice and naan.
Italian	If you're having pizza, choose lower-fat toppings, such as vegetables, ham, fish and prawns. You could ask for some extra veg on your pizza to bump up your daily fruit and veg portions. Remember if you don't want to increase the saturated fat content and number of calories in your meal, don't ask for extra cheese. When you have pasta, for the healthier option go for a sauce based on tomatoes or vegetables, rather than cream.
Chinese	Choose a lower-fat dish such as steamed fish, chicken chop suey or Szechwan prawns. Go for steamed or plain rice rather than egg-fried rice and avoid those deep fried starters such as prawn crackers, dim sum and spring rolls.
Thai	Try to stick to stir-fried dishes or steamed dishes containing chicken, fish or vegetables. Green and red curries contain coconut milk, which is high in saturated fat, so if you do choose a curry, have it with less sauce. And have some steamed rice with your meal.
Burgers and kebabs	Choose a shish kebab with pitta bread and salad, rather than a doner kebab. Choose grilled burgers made from lean meat or fish. Ask for your burger without cheese or mayonnaise — and with extra salad.
Fish and chips	Go for a smaller portion or share your chips. Ask for your fish and chips without salt — if you want some salt then add it to taste yourself. Don't eat all the batter, because it soaks up a lot of fat. If you can get it, fish coated in breadcrumbs soaks up less fat.

Eating your way around the world

With teams competing from all over the world, why not do some gastronomic globetrotting of your own and support your home team or your favourite player by choosing a snack or dish from their national cuisine? Here are a few delicious and nutritious ideas to get your taste buds going:

Down the pub

Enjoying the match at your local pub can be great fun, but the snack and meal choices tend to be limited. Bar snacks are often high in salt and fat, particularly saturated fat, but there are healthier options:

• give pork scratchings a miss and go for unsalted peanuts — pork scratching can be high in saturated fat, whereas peanuts provide protein, vitamins and minerals
• try to have a smaller portion or share your chips or crisps
• there can be a big difference in saturated fat and salt content, so try to pick lower fat and less salty snacks

With some of the matches starting in the evening, you might have time to eat your evening meal at home before you go out.

If you do eat out, look for grilled meats and fish or 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.

Keep an eye on the drink

Football and beer often go hand-in-hand, but with many hours of football to watch, it can be easy to over-indulge. It's recommended that men drink no more than 3 to 4 units, and women no more that 2 to 3, a day. When you're pregnant, it's best to stop drinking alcohol altogether. But if you do drink, try to have no more than 1 or 2 units of alcohol once or twice a week and avoid getting drunk.

When you're engrossed in the game it's easy to sip your way though more than you realise. Remember that bottled beers come in different sizes, so you might be drinking more that 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 try a sparkling water with a slice of lemon or lime?

Don’t just watch!

You might feel as if you are kicking every ball and covering every blade of grass along with the players, but that doesn't count as being active! So 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?