Healthy Super Bowl Snacks Disguised as Tasty Treats

25Jan10

Sanchez and Favre may have both lost their Championships (and my dream of youngest-oldest Super Bowl XLIV is over!), but I’m not going to wallow in junk food over it. I’m going to wallow with health food.

Yes, it’s true: you can have a great Super Bowl party, eat plenty of snacks, and still keep your New Year’s Resolution of eating healthier foods. There are some “better” choices to make among traditional party foods as well as some new things to add to the spread

-Choose Tortilla Chips & Fresh Salsa instead of Potato Chips & Dip

Salsa is fat-free and full of veggies; dip is fatty and full of MSG. Don’t believe me? Read the labels and you’ll be surprised how many “trusted brands” add monosodium glutamate, which is proven to increase weight gain and contribute to a whole host of other health problems.

PS: Making your own salsa is even healthier than buying it at the store. It will have the vitamins of fresh veggies, no preservatives, and you can make it as simple or spicy as you want.

PPS: Spicy foods increase metabolism, so you can feel slightly less guilty about the beer you are consuming.

-Have a Veggie Plate & Put Vinaigrette, Not Ranch, in the Middle

Personally, I eat naked veggies, but if you need to make them a little more interesting, you can make your own simple vinaigrette by starting with a half cup of balsamic vinegar and adding individual dollops of Dijon mustard. Whisk together (with other flavors, if you wish) until the consistency and quantity are correct.

If you’re not into vinaigrettes, you can make a simple yogurt dip by mixing minced garlic, shallots, dill, and grated cucumbers into plain yogurt; just make sure the yogurt has only two ingredients: milk and cultures. Why add cornstarch and stabilizers and preservatives? Oh my!

-Bake Brownies (Really)

Now, normally I am not an advocate of foods in disguise. Take tofu “chicken” nuggets: everybody can tell it’s not chicken. And I am also by no means a vegan, but I do love this recipe for Low Fat Vegan Black Bean Brownies. Try them and you’ll see that they’re just delicious chocolatey squares. Nobody cares that there are no eggs or wheat because they are just fudgey and delicious! I would bake a big batch if I were you.

Now, in light of the bean brownies, spicy salsa and beer, you will probably want to wear Subtle Butt: disposable gas neutralizers. Just in Case. $9.95 for 5 at www.subtlebutt.com

AZ

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