TORONTO – Like Christmas and Thanksgiving, Super Bowl Sunday is another prime opportunity to feast with family and friends.
Would the football game be complete without the pizza, chicken wings, chips and beer?
If you’re eating according to the typical Game Day spread, you could be consuming more than 2,400 calories, according to Calorie Control Council. And that’s just during the game.
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If that doesn’t sit right with you, there are some healthy swaps you can make to your favourite dishes.
Global News spoke with registered dietitian Samara Foisy, whose husband is a former Canadian Football League player. Here are her five tips:
Sneak vegetables into your dishes whenever you can
There are simple ways to sneak fresh fare into your Super Bowl spread: your dips can be served with celery and carrots instead of chips, you can pack your chili with vegetables, and you can grate carrots and zucchini into your meatballs for moisture, Foisy says.
“These are easy swaps – vegetables are packed with nutrition, they fill you up and they’re a lower source of calories,” Foisy explains.
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She also recommends making pizza topped with fresh vegetables instead of pepperoni for a healthier alternative.
Bake instead of deep frying your wings, fries and finger food
Get creative with your food preparation instead of relying on the deep fryer. Fries, chicken fingers and tortilla can be seasoned with spices and lemon and baked. Chicken, pork and beef can be skewered and grilled, Foisy says.
And chicken wings can be brushed with Buffalo hot sauce instead of dredged before they’re thrown in the oven – you’ll cut back on sodium, calories and saturated fat from the deep fryer.
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Mix and match food preparations, too: meatballs can be baked, then skewered with pineapple and green peppers before they’re grilled.
Choose lean meats
When grocery shopping for game day, stock up on lean meats for your cooking.
“Turkey is leaner than beef, and if you’re going with beef, go with lean or extra lean,” Foisy advises.
Ground chicken and whole chicken breast are health-conscious choices, too. By making these swaps, you’re saving on saturated fat.
Use the lean meats for burger patties, meatballs, chili and other staples.
Reach for the healthy substitute
Greek yogurt is a great alternative to sour cream. Whole wheat pita squares are an easy swap for tortilla chips and fresh salsa and guacamole are healthier than cheese dip.
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Use seasonings to spice up your food, too. Instead of buying bags of chips, make popcorn topped with chili, lime and honey, for example.
Foisy also suggests a seven layer dip: guacamole, salsa, hummus and beans are a great start.
Cook at home
Whatever is coming out of your kitchen is bound to be healthier than what’s on the menu at the bar. When you cook at home, you’re in control of portion sizes and ingredients.
“It’s really important to cook at home because you know what’s in everything, you can read labels and you know how many calories you’re consuming,” Foisy says.
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But if you slip up, don’t stress out.
“Eating isn’t about one occasion. It’s a pattern and you can get back on track the next day,” she explains.
carmen.chai@globalnews.ca
Follow @Carmen_Chai
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