As a football fan, my house often becomes a spot for friends to catch a game — or just catch up — this time of year. But here’s my game-day dilemma: I want to have healthy choices, not chips and dip, pizza, wings and beer that can easily add up to more than a day’s worth of calories and two days’ of unhealthy saturated fat before the last snap. I want tasty, fun football food that won’t make me feel like a NFL lineman by the end of the 17-week season.
So what do I do? I have a variety of lighter football fare dishes at the ready to create a lean game-day menu. Here are a few favorites:
Mini Caprese Bites. I like simple snack food but try to infuse veggies into the mix as much as possible. These are a perfect Mediterranean-style snack that have less than 20 calories each. Slice cherry tomatoes in half and place one half of the tomato on a toothpick, add one small slice fresh mozzarella cheese, add the other tomato half, then one small basil leaf. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
[See: High-Protein Breakfast Ideas.]
Skinny “Chips” and Dips. To contain calories when there’s a “blitz” on chips and dip, I buy crinkle cut carrots and add chopped bell peppers, sugar snap peas, jicama and other veggies that provide a satisfying crunch. Since veggies have less than 25 calories per cup, compared to 150 calories or more in a handful of potato or tortilla chips, you can shave hundreds of calories with this simple swap. Partner your veggies with fiber-rich and lower-calorie dips like my skinny guacamole recipe, hummus or black bean dip.
In-Shell Pistachios. I have a lot of nervous energy when watching games, so I mindlessly munch — a lot. To help ensure I don’t blow my daily calorie budget on snacks, I try to eat in-shell nuts instead of shelled. Opening the shell of these spiced up nuts can help slow down consumption, and pistachios pack in more protein and fiber, compared to most other popular snack nuts.
[See: 10 Healthy Meals You Can Make in 10 Minutes.]
Popcorn. The good news about air-popped popcorn is how much you can eat for relatively few calories. Three cups of air-popped popcorn has 100 calories and 2 and 1/2 grams of fiber. In addition, this study found that compared to potato chips, popcorn makes you fill fuller and is a 100-percent whole grain.
Slow Cooker Apple Turkey Chili. A hearty bowl of chili is one of my all-star game-day menu items. This chili recipe is a real crowd-pleaser, and no one will notice how healthy it is because it’s so flavorful. Best of all, it’s made in a slow cooker (which does all the heavy lifting), and it’s made with canned beans and tomatoes that you probably already have in your pantry. I use 99-percent lean ground turkey breast in place of beef and use both black and chili beans, diced tomatoes and jalapenos. A 1 1/2 cup serving has just 440 calories, packs in plenty of protein and fiber, and keeps saturated fat low. What’s more, the canned tomatoes are one of the richest — and most absorbable — sources of beneficial lycopene, which provides anti-cancer and other health benefits.
[See: 11 Healthy Veggie Recipes That Prove Slow Cookers Are for More Than Meat.]
Hummus Deviled Eggs. One of my favorite all-time snacks are deviled eggs. I upgrade mine by using fiber- and protein-rich hummus blended with canola oil, which has more beneficial monounsaturated fat than olive oil and contains beneficial plant-based omega-3 fatty acids. To make: Boil 6 eggs and cut in half. To the yolks, add half a cup of your favorite hummus, 1 tablespoon canola oil, salt and pepper and puree in a food processor. Using a piping bag, fill each egg white half with the hummus-yolk mixture and sprinkle with paprika.
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A Nutritionist-Approved Game-Day Menu: Elevate Your Tailgate With These Healthier Game-Day Snacks originally appeared on usnews.com
