Healthy snacking on Super Bowl Sunday is tempting, but not terribly practical. In a large group, watching some of these snacks advertised during the big game, recovering from 2 polar vortices (vortexes?), and winding down on a Sunday night — this can lead to non-healthy snack decisions.
If you are living in a home state of one of the Super Bowl participants, snacking temptation is even worse since you can smoke marijuana legally in those states (insert Doritos joke here).
Previous coverage:
Temptation of the Week: Create a distinct Super Bowl feast
Temptation of the Week: Resisting temptation to gorge on Super Bowl Sunday
Of course, one evening of nachos and other snacks won't do much harm. And if you've been good lately, sure, why not take a night of "fun."
Fun doesn't have to mean eating processed snacks, but again, peer pressure does make an impact.
If you want to avoid these temptations, here are some options that could offset that Monday Morning Quarterback uneasy feeling.
- Guacamole. That is usually what people think of when trying to come up with a healthy snack for Super Bowl Sunday. And get some of those blue corn chips to go with the guacamole, or boil some eggs and use the egg whites to hold some guacamole.
- Hummus makes for a nice alternative dip to guacamole.
- Spinach artichoke dip is a good option if it's more about the vegetables than the dip. Fat-free yogurt can cut the calories while Greek yogurt adds the fiber.
- You could eat well the rest of the weekend and leave Sunday night for some snacks.
- Fiber and lots of it. Have oatmeal or something high in fiber for lunch, so you won't feel as hungry.
- Celery. Let's not kid ourselves: celery isn't fun. You see celery with Buffalo wings but you don't see people eating the celery. With the great dips, celery sticks are a good way to get the dip into your mouth.
- Drink lots of water. You'll feel more full. Drinking American beer may be like drinking water, but that doesn't count.
- Frozen fruit, especially blueberries or strawberries. Super Bowl Sunday is mostly about salty rather than sweet. But berries on top of Greek yogurt with a little honey or maple syrup can be fun and healthy and filling.
- Go nuts with nuts. Eating nuts adds protein and fiber.
- Popcorn. No microwave crap. Cook your own with a popcorn popper or put some kernels in a paper bag in a microwave oven. Use spice rather than butter to add flavor. Cayenne pepper is a great cheese. Garlic is wonderful.
- Healthy cereal. Set out a bowl of healthy cereal. Watching the game involves mindless munching, so if you something healthy and fun, you might not even remember what you ate an hour ago.
You get over a thousand meals in a year. If you've been good lately, one meal won't make much of a difference. If you haven't been good lately, these tips might make your dips that much better for you in the long run.