Super bowl Sunday is practically a national holiday. Super Bowl tables will be laden with fried chicken wings, meat hoagies, burgers, hot dogs, potato chips, dip and lots of alcohol! Even though it is one night a year, don’t use a super bowl party as an excuse to interfere with healthy new habits. If you do happen to over do it a bit, get right back to your healthy plan at the very next meal.
5 Super bowl survival tips:
1. Hit the gym the day of the party
2. Don’t arrive starved
- Follow regular meal schedule
- Have a small high fiber, lean protein snack before the party to take the edge off
3. Have a plan
- Bring a salad loaded with lean protein and colorful vegetables
- Fill up on the better options to leave less room for the “bad”
4. Practice moderation
- Fill half the plate with vegetables
- Eat small portions of unhealthier choices
- Eat mindfully to enjoy every morsel
5. Watch alcohol intake
- Alternate alcohol with sparkling water
- Know your numbers: 12 ounces beer can contain upwards of 13 grams of carbohydrate per serving, with wine containing 4 grams per 5 ounce serving.
Easy party food swaps:
- Serve vegetarian bean and lentil chili in place of beef.
- Trade mayonnaise based dips for hummus.
- Use ground chicken to make Swedish meat balls in place of ground beef.
- Serve shredded barbecue jackfruit sliders for your vegan guests.
- Make a healthy “cheesy” popcorn by air popping, spraying with olive oil and toss with sea salt, fresh ground pepper and nutritional yeast.
- Oven fry chicken wings by dredging in seasoned whole wheat bread crumbs, coating with olive oil spray and baking in a 450°F oven for 25-30 minutes until crisp.
- Crunchy roasted mediterranean chickpeas make a delicious alternative to high fat potato chips. Preheat oven to 450°F. Drain and dry chickpeas. Toss with olive oil, sea salt, black pepper and za’atar seasoning. Place on a baking sheet. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes or until brown and crisp.
- Stuff mini whole wheat pita pockets with part skim mozzarella and halved grape tomatoes. Place in panini press for quick and delicious mini pizza quesadillas.
- Mix up a platter of high protein nut butter quinoa puff bars.
- Grill up a platter of turkey breast sliders. Serve on mini whole wheat buns.