Super Bowl Extravaganza: Snacks and Appetizers

One of my favorite holidays is nearly here... SUPER BOWL BABY.  I wouldn't say I am a sports enthusiast but I am a BIG fan of sport watching that includes food. The World Series...college bowl games... the Stanley Cup... March Madness... and if you have a father like mine, the Masters Tournament or the U.S. Open. What is the one thing they all have in common? Delicious food.

However, just like my other favorite holidays... Christmas... Thanksgiving... 4th of July- all that delicious eating can really throw anyone off the "New Year Resolution" bandwagon. Super Bowl Sunday comes in SECOND, only to Thanksgiving for eating in the US (timesnews.com)! That's not even counting beer.

Doing a quick Google search, one could consume anywhere between 2,000-4,000 calories during a super bowl party. HOW? Let me break it down for you (caloriecounter.com):

• One slice of pepperoni: 221 calories or four slices of pepperoni: 884 calories

• One slice of thick-crust pepperoni: 284 calories or four slices of thick-crust pepperoni: 1,135 calories (YIKES!) [ustoday.com]

• Dozen dips and cheese salsa: 300 calories

• Three chicken wings: 200 calories 

• Nachos with beef, beans and cheese: 787 calories in 1 portion

• Artichoke Spinach Dip: Costco's Spinach Dip has 80 calories in 28g (A little less than two tablespoons)

• I just found this and it is a must share: Applebee's Spinach dip has 1565 calories in ONE SERVING! (YIKES!)

So what is my goal this week? It's not to patronize or even criticize, because I am probably food's biggest fan and have indulged (even last week) in those calorie catastrophes. My goal is to provide some healthy alternatives that (1) taste good, (2) healthy and (3) that 90% of eaters won't be able to tell the difference! Some simple substitutions and creativity will hopefully make for some happy football enthusiasts! 

Now I realize I typically post AFTER I have tried a recipe out, but since Super Bowl is this Sunday it doesn't really do anyone any good for me to share my delicious eats after the fact. Therefore I have done some serious research and found recipes that I plan on trying and complied healthy appetizers/snacks that I have made in the past.

Here is this Super Bowl Sunday's Recommended Menu [click on link for recipes]:

Recipes I haven’t tried….. yet:

(I plan on testing out a few this weekend!!)

Slow Cooker Spinach and Artichoke Dip: 
Compliments of SlenderKitchen.com

o   Nutrition: 83 calories, 4.3g of fat, 5.6g carbs, 2g of fiber, and 6.5g protein

o   Serving size: ½

Baked Honey Sriracha Wings: 
Compliments of SlenderKitchen.com

o   Nutrition: 265.5 calories, 15.9g of fat, 1g of carbohydrates, .5g of fiber, 17g of protein

o   Serving size: 3 wings 
 

Chili Con Queso: 
Compliments Eatingwell.com

o   Nutrition: 84 calories, 5 g fat, 5 g carbs, 4 g protein, 307 mg sodium

o   Serving Size: ¼ cup

Jalapeno Poppers: 
Compliments of itsuxtobefat.com

• Nutrition: 36.6 calories, 0.4g fat, 5.0g carbs, and 11.4mg sodium, 3.2g of protein
• Serving size: 1 popper per serving
• *I might sub neurchatel cheese, it has 1/3 the fat as normal cream cheese but heats better than non-fat cream cheese which can get a greasy gritting texture  
  *I might also sub whole-wheat bread crumbs

Veggie Dips: 
Zesty Green Goddess Dip: 

• Compliments of Cookinglight.com
• Nutrition: 92 calories, 8.7g fat, 1.2g carbs, 223mg sodium 
• Serving size: 3 tablespoons  

Homemade Blue Cheese Dip: 

• Compliments of Cookinglight.com
•  Nutrition: Unknown, because I removed the potato chips from the recipe… TBD  

Creamy Garlic-Herb Dip: 

• Compliments of Cookinglight.com 
• Nutrition: 55 calories, 4.4g fat, 1.5g carbs, 195mg sodium 
• Serving size: 2 tablespoons

The last but certainly not the least, TURKEY CHILI! I spent some serious time looking for a good turkey chili recipe. I had NO idea traditional chili had so many calories in it. Typically, low calorie chili is around 300 calories- some traditional chili (including my beloved mother’s) is around 600! So I was happy when I found a turkey chili that had great reviews, and was on the lower end of the calorie spectrum. This Sunday I will most definitely be trying Rachel Ray’s Indian Summer Turkey Chili, complements of foodnetwork.com.

Chili is so versatile, it can go on baked potatoes, nachos, or simply all alone; a MUST for a great super bowl shindig! I hope this list of tasty appetizers and snacks helps your Super Bowl Sunday! And please post comments about any of the recipes you try- or would like to share your personal favorite Super Bowl snacks.