the ultimate march madness healthy menu

3 weeks. 67 games. roughly 800 players. 1 team left standing. it’s not crazy, it’s just sports. and it’s march. march madness.

the madness of march is filled with excitement and happiness, as well as lots and lots of heartache. one shining moment can make or break an entire season. every game is a chance to survive and advance or pack up and head home. for those of us glued to the games from our own screens, well, we’re going to get hungry and will need healthy snacks to nosh on and i’m here to share my faves with you.

basketball was my fist love. having played through college it made up a majority of my young life. nearly year round on a court. spring and summer on the road with the lakers, my aau team, fall through early spring in green and gold as a wolverine for my hometown team. the in-between was spent in the backyard on my own regulation size half court. freshly painted yearly by my mom, thanks mom! march madness, in my opinion, is the best holiday on the calendar.

my first memorable big dance tourney game was duke vs. north carolina. 1992. yep, some of you will know the game. the one that ended with the shot. duke was the first non-wisconsin team i supported which is a big deal to my people. my little brother had a boy scout gathering the coming saturday and i knew it would interfere with the scheduled game, so i began lobbying early in the week.

you see, it was the first time i’d be left at home, alone, after dark. it took the entire week to convince my parents and thank goodness i was successful. to this day watching the shot can give me all the feels. it was possibly my favorite game ever…until this one was played last season. last season’s game had a completely different context but was very exciting all the same, especially if you’re a badger fan.

so it’s no secret. if i’m watching something most likely it’s sports. while watching i’m also typically working on recipes or food prep, working on my movement challenge and i have been known to practice yoga too —yes-i get on my mat and practice yoga while watching sports–because who can sit still while watching others run around and be active?

b-u-t i also get quite hungry while watching and am here to share my favorite sports snack-y menu with you. i still make the occasional donut or ice cream sundae while watching a game but the following are top of my list.