My favorite spectator sport is coming to an end, but at least we all get to celebrate it with a party! In doing some research for this blog, I realized that Super Bowl Sunday ranks 2nd (after Thanksgiving) in the amount of calories/day consumed by Americans! I had no idea! I guess it does makes sense…for instance,

1) we are surrounded by food and drink for more than ~6 hours

2) touchdowns by the opposing team can cause emotional eaters to eat more

3) we have a hard time leaving our couch potato position so we don’t miss the commercials

For those of who might be interested in a Super Bowl meal make-over, I have a couple of ideas…

1) Chili: Chili, chocked full with beans, tomatoes and other vegetables is an excellent health food! Leaving out the meat or using lean ground beef, lean turkey breast or soy crumbles can decrease overall calories and saturated fat. I think it is a good idea to start with chili as an appetizer. The beans and vegetables in chili are very satisfying and filling, and it just might be a good strategy to tame our linebacker appetites.

2) Hot Wings: Some might find this idea far from their beloved chicken wings, but try dipping chicken breast tenders in buttermilk or egg whites and then coating them in a plastic bag with crushed breakfast cereal (cornflakes) and spices. Bake the chicken tenders and offer up sauces like wing sauce, BBQ sauce, or honey mustard.

3) Tater Skins: Top potato skins with light cheese, salsa and avocado instead of bacon and sour cream. Your baked taters are an excellent source of calcium, vitamin C, and potassium. Plus they are filling.

4) Pizza: If you are ordering out pizza, choose thin crust and leaner meats like Canadian bacon or chicken.  If you are making a pizza at home, you can buy pre-made whole wheat crusts (such  as Boboli), use light cheese, and add your some veggies (marinated artichoke hearts and roasted red bell peppers are some of my favorites).

5) Dips: Add refried black beans or hummus to cheese dips to increase fiber and reduce calories. Offer vegetable trays, baked chips, pita bread, or pretzels to dip instead of regular tortilla or potato chips.

No matter what you choose to eat or what team you are rooting for, I hope you enjoy the day and the commercials! Maybe the commericals will be really funny, laughing is not only good for the soul but burns calories too (: