Should you worry about healthy eating at a Super Bowl party? We asked an expert

Lindsay Dolashewich, registered dietician and co-founder of Absolute Nutrition Counseling in Bridgewater and Neptune, knows how people looking to stay true to their health goals can survive the Super Bowl.

As she should. She was a finalist on the 42nd season of “Survivor” that aired in 2022.

But to Dolashewich, heading to a Super Bowl party – like any other life event involving food – is about finding balance and enjoyment, not just surviving.

“A lot of my clients ask me about situations like the Super Bowl and there is this level of stress and worry leading into the event,” Dolashewich said. “It's being comfortable within that fine line of allowing yourself to indulge in foods that bring you joy, while also finding the discipline so we stay mindful of our choices.”

Dolashewich often tells her clients that with 365 days in the year, there’s no reason to worry about the 20 to 30 holidays or events associated with indulgence. Instead, it’s about a person’s daily health routine – which make up the other 335 days of the year.

“One meal of the few holidays within the year will not throw anyone off progress,” said Dolashewich. “Enjoying days like the Super Bowl is a human part of life and it's meant to be enjoyed.”

However, there are plenty of ways that people can both enjoy the Super Bowl and not wake up feeling overstuffed.

Be mindful

Besides the television, the real company of the Super Bowl is your family and friends – so it’s important to be present in the moment and enjoy their conversation, rather than mindlessly eating, said Dolashewich. That means not sitting next to the chip bowl.

“If we are mindless, then we may eat more than we need to or eat foods that we don’t really care to even have,” she said. “Be present with company and have conversation. This is a party, not just an eating gathering.”

Find balance

The food pyramid hardly loves a chicken wing for your protein source and a carrot stick for your vegetable source, but on Super Bowl Sunday, it will have to do. People can create that balance on their plate with a little observation.

For example, chicken wings, shrimp cocktail, mini hot dogs or bean salad can be your protein source; carrots, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, miniature peppers, or celery sticks can be your vegetable source; and nachos, chips, crackers or pretzels can be your carbohydrate source, Dolashewich said.

West Orange resident Melissa Schwartz plans on finding that balance herself this Super Bowl Sunday.

“Growing up, I was always told that carbs and fried foods are bad for you, but now I’ve learned that if you have a carb, even it out with a vegetable. And if you have dip, have it in moderation,” Schwartz said. “If I have two wings, I may just double up on vegetables. It shouldn’t be stressful.”

Don’t skip meals

Dolashewich said that a huge misconception she often sees is people skipping meals throughout the day to compensate for eating indulgent foods later on. However, that sets people up to overeat or mindlessly eat after getting ravenously hungry.

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“We don't need to earn our food, nor do we need to counteract our food choices,” said Dolashewich. “The last thing we need is to walk into a party starving with big eyes, then try to avoid eating snacks. Please eat.”

That’s what Schwartz is planning to do. She said she will probably have a salad with protein for lunch before heading to her Super Bowl party.

Bring a healthy dish

Worried that there won’t be enough vegetables or healthy protein sources to create your balanced plate? Then be the one to bring them, suggested Dolashewich. Since it’s not uncommon to ask a host what to bring, it’s easy to find out what healthy snack could be missing from the appetizer table.

Schwartz isn’t sure yet what she’s bringing to her Super Bowl party, but she’s considering bringing a seven-layer dip or cut vegetables.

Drink water

As a teacher whose days are packed, one of Schwartz’s goals is to drink more water, which she knows is especially important on Super Bowl Sunday.

“Make sure to drink water to meet your fluid needs and bridge the gap from only eating,” Dolashewich said.

Or, try a vegan Super Bowl party

Old Bridge resident Shari Wexler has been vegan for more than a decade. So last year, she decided to hold her first vegan Super Bowl party — and the tradition continues in 2024.

She plans to serve a vegan chocolate cake, spinach dip with chips, air-fried macaroni and vegan cheese balls, cauliflower wings, and vegan pigs in a blanket. A friend is bringing vegan lasagna.

Wexler’s boyfriend is vegan, and two of her friends attending her party are vegan and vegetarian. But the other four of her guests are not.

“They don’t mind the vegan food because it looks like regular food,” Wexler said. “If I didn’t tell them, they probably wouldn’t know the difference. But if they were being fed just crudité and tofu, they might not be happy.

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“Since there has been a boom of people eating vegan items in the last decade, you don’t even have to go to a Whole Foods or health food store to get vegan ingredients — many of them are at the regular grocery store,” Wexler added.

But a vegan Super Bowl party doesn’t always mean a healthy one.

“I’m still in a food coma the next day,” Wexler said.

Contact: JIntersimone@MyCentralJersey.com

Jenna Intersimone has been a staff member at the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey since 2014, after becoming a blogger-turned-reporter following the creation of her award-winning travel blog. To get unlimited access to her stories about food, drink and fun, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. You can also follow her on Instagram at @seejennaeat and on Twitter at @JIntersimone.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Super Bowl party healthy eating tips from a dietician