The Super Bowl is the pinnacle of all sporting events, garnering more viewership than any other sporting event every single year. But the grandeur of this event does not have to translate to a grand amount of calories and fat at your Super Bowl get-together. By following a few simple tips, you can create a festive football feast that will impress your guests without making an impression on their diet.
Approach the appetizers you plan to serve from an artistic viewpoint. A great deal of the enjoyment we get from our food is in its presentation. You are sure to impress every guest by presenting healthy foods in a creative way.
Use skewers to create kabobs of roasted vegetables and offer a few different dips on the side, including fiber-rich hummus, low fat spinach dip, or no-calorie salsa.
Offer baked tortilla chips and a healthy Mexican 5-layer dip using vegetarian refried beans, low-fat sour cream, heart healthy guacamole, salsa and reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese. Serve your dip in a football shaped bowl (or an oval-shaped Pyrex) and use some pretzel sticks to create the lacing up the front of the football.
After kick-off, maintain your commitment to healthy food by offering a sandwich bar filled with all sorts of goodies. Whole grain breads, buns and rolls, and large lettuce leaves are the perfect holders for your sandwich ingredients. Lean turkey and ham, low-fat cheese, diced chicken, veggie burgers and low-fat tuna salad are sure to provide options for every guest. Offer unique pickles, mustards, tomato slices, grilled onions and mushrooms, low-fat coleslaw and dressing, too. A sandwich bar is an easy touchdown in the entertainment end-zone!
It is also easy to gain extra points with low- or no- calorie beverage options. To guests who like a soda, offer portion-controlled 90-calorie mini cans or diet soda. You can also create team-themed beverages by using club soda and a small amount of food coloring in your favorite team colors. Choosing lite beers and clear liquors in small servings can save nearly 100 calories per drink.
Desserts can be equally spirited by making bite-sized, calorie-controlled treats that honor your favorite team. Bite-sized cupcakes offer the fun of a tasty dessert for a fraction of the calories of a full sized one. Cake pops in team colors are another way to offer just the right serving of a sweet treat. You can pick up a cake-pop baking sheet at any Target or home store. Lastly, be sure to serve fruit as well. Fruit can be fun by presenting it in small cups with whipped cream and dark chocolate chips on the side to create a healthy sundae.
The incredible athleticism that brings players to the Super Bowl Stage is something to be celebrated. In order to become who they are today those incredible athletes have taken great care of their bodies, and a balanced diet is an important part of their game plan. So celebrate the big game by celebrating your health at the same time! Your body will thank you for it!
