7 Easy Swaps To Slim Down Super Bowl Sunday
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Even though Super Bowl Sunday isn’t officially a national holiday in the U.S., it’s the biggest day of the year in snack-food consumption, and second only to Thanksgiving in overall food consumption. Since chances are you won’t be out on the field burning off all that food, here are some substitutions to make a healthier and winning party menu.
1. PIZZA: Thin Crust Instead of Regular
Two slices of a traditional 14-inch cheese pizza weigh in at 625 calories and 24 grams of fat — and that’s without any meat toppings. The good news is that there’s a simple way to slash the calories and pump up the nutrition of pizza without sacrificing on the flavor: Order an extra-thin crust (whole grain if it’s available), ask for half the cheese and double the fiber-rich veggies. If you do that, you can enjoy a slice for less than 200 calories.
Related: Guacamole With a Secret Ingredient
2. CHILI: Extra Lean Meat Instead of Regular Ground Beef
In place of ground beef, use extra-lean ground sirloin, bison or round turkey or chicken (white meat only). Studies show that regular consumption of beans helps to improve cardiovascular health and enhances weight loss. Additionally, beans (in particular the white variety used in our recipe) help to prevent spikes and dips in blood sugar.
3. CHIPS: Baked Instead of Fried
At 150 calories and 9-10 grams of fat per serving, potato chips will contribute some 27 billion calories to fans’ total calorie consumption on game day. To help contain the calories of fried potato chips, look for baked versions instead. For example, a serving of baked chips (1 oz. or about 20 chips) contains about 120 calories and 3 grams of fat. To make things even healthier, you can also serve up plenty of fresh-cut veggies to offer your guests the crunch of chips with vitamins and without the empty calories of chips.
4. DIP: Greek Yogurt Instead of Sour Cream
Dips add more than 100 calories and 10 grams of additional fat per serving (2 tablespoons). There are better alternatives, like white or black bean dips, hummus or simply substituting plain Greek yogurt in for sour cream in your recipe. A cup of regular sour cream packs in 445 calories and 45 grams of fat. Compare that to a cup of nonfat Greek yogurt, which contains about 130 calories and zero fat. For each cup of Greek yogurt swapped in for sour cream, you’ll shave 315 calories and 45 grams of fat.
Related: Healthy Dips and Spread for the Big Game
5. CHICKEN: Tenders and Skewers Instead of Fried Wings
Instead, broil, bake or grill chicken tenders (made with boneless, skinless chicken breasts) on skewers in a hot sauce. Wings aren’t complete without ranch or blue cheese dressing, but since these dressings have about 125-150 calories per 2-tablespoon serving, opt for a light option or make your own with nonfat plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.
6. NUTS: In-Shell Instead of Shelled
In-shell pistachios are lower in calories than many other nuts and have nearly 6 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber per ounce (49 nuts). What’s more, the simple process of cracking the nuts out of the shells makes pistachios a more “mindful snack.” In a study published in the journal Appetite, snackers who were given in-shell pistachios ate 41 percent fewer calories than those who snacked on shelled pistachios.
7. POPCORN: Natural Instead of Artificial Flavorings
Popcorn is a snack you can feel good about, since it’s a whole grain and a high-quality carb. It’s also low in calories, at about 100 calories per 3 cups of air-popped popcorn. Research shows that compared to chips, popcorn exerts a stronger effect on short-term satiety (our fullness factor). It’s a terrific option for those wanting to reduce feelings of hunger while managing energy intake and ultimately, body weight. Skip chemical- and calorie-filled artificial butter flavoring and jazz up your popcorn with store-bought natural seasoning blends or experiment with your own herbs and spices.
The original article “Easy Swaps to Slim Down Super Bowl Sunday" appeared on LIVESTRONG.COM.
By Julie Upton, M.S., R.D., C.S.S.D.
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