1. Start with veggies and end with fruit. Serve veggies while everyone is waiting for the grill to warm up. Cut veggies and serve with dip, make a big salad or bring a crockpot of veggie soup. End the meal with fresh or grilled fruit for a naturally sweet dessert. 

2. Earn points for adding foods with team colors to the table. For Patriots fans, think salsa, popcorn and berries.

3. Keep the strategy simple. Do as much prep at home or pick up ready-to-cook items. Finger foods like kabobs, pizza and quesadillas are crowd pleasers and require no plates or utensils.

4. Skewer leaner cuts of protein like chicken, turkey, pork tenderloin or shrimp with peppers, mushrooms and onions.

5. If you're an all-day grazer, make a small plate and then step away from the food table to limit temptation. Distract yourself by enjoying the time to relax, catch up with friends, toss around a football or play corn hole.

6. Make simple swaps to save calories while still enjoying game-day fare:

• Salsa instead of hummus
• Tomatoes instead of ketchup
• Popcorn instead of potato chips
• Chicken sausage instead of pork sausage
• Lettuce wraps instead of white bread or buns
• Plain Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise

Tips provided by Stop & Shop Nutritionist Julie Hersey, MS, RD, LDN.  

Looking for a healthy game day recipe? Try Stop & Shop's Southwestern Chicken Chili recipe.