Food For The Big Game

The big game is coming up and I know alot of you are already planning your football menu. Football and greasy food pretty much go hand-in-hand.  And most of the popular things people eat during the game . . . like pizza . . . can end up giving you heartburn.

So with the AFC and NFC Championship games happening this weekend, the editors at Health.com chose a few of the biggest heartburn offenders, and came up with some better options.

Pizza actually isn't on the list . . . probably because you should eat anything besides pizza if you're worried about acid reflux.  But here are four more football foods, and what you should have instead.

1.  Don't Have a Bloody Mary.  They're not that popular at tailgates, but if you show up early for a barbecue before the game starts, the host might offer you one.

The acid in the tomato juice is the main trigger, but the vodka doesn't help.  Any kind of alcohol can cause heartburn, but liquor is worse than beer.  In fact, according to the National Heartburn Alliance, beer is the safest choice.

You can also try cutting down on the acid by making a "Red Eye" . . . half tomato juice, half beer.  Also known as a "Bloody Beer."

2. Don't Have Chips and Salsa.  Again, it's the acid in the tomatoes that causes the heartburn.  Instead, have pretzels or baked chips with bean dip.

3.  If You Want a Cheeseburger, Use Extra-Lean Ground Beef.  The leaner the meat is, the better your chances are of avoiding acid reflux.

Ground turkey is even better.  And if you want to eat the safest cheeseburger possible, use low-fat cheese, and don't add ketchup.

4.  Skip the Chicken Wings.  The sauce is a huge heartburn trigger.  Plus, each wing can have as much as 10 grams of fat.

That's bad because fatty foods take longer to digest, stay in your stomach longer, and make it easier for stomach acid to make its way up to your esophagus.

A chicken breast on the grill, or a grilled-chicken sandwich at a sports bar are much smarter options.

I say you keep the ant-acid pills handy and order an extra large all meat pizza.