Keep your snack options healthy by offering bowls of pretzels instead of potato chips, popcorn instead of candy, and wedges of flatbread with garlic hummus or whole-wheat crackers and this delicious hot Spinach Crock-Pot Dip instead of your usual chips.
Simply Organic also has a full line of regular and spicy dip mixes you can prepare with low-fat mayonnaise, low-fat sour cream, or plain yogurt to make them additionally healthy. The packets are perfect to have on hand when there are last-minute additions to the guest list. They can be used to create many easy and delicious recipes.
While some of your guests may stay glued to the TV for the halftime extravaganza (including the commercials!), most will take advantage of the break for some major refueling. Traditional bowl game fare often includes vast quantities of high fat foods -- grilled hamburgers or hot dogs, mini-sausages simmered in barbeque sauce, and the head-turning (and potentially heart-stopping) deep-fat fried Buffalo Wings. A single wing (betcha can't eat just one) can contain 250 calories and 15 grams of fat -- and that's before you dip them in the sauce (maybe 20 more calories and a couple 2 grams of fat).
If your crowd can't watch a game without the wings, minimize the damage with a different method of preparation. Select your favorite Frontier Cajun, Barbecue or Mexican seasonings and prepare a rub. Vigorously rub the spices onto the wings and then grill them. If you prefer to brush on the flavor, blend the spices with a little honey and brush on toward the end of cooking time. Your guests will totally enjoy the results, but won’t have to deal with the extra fat (and pounds!) that come with the fried method.
Another tasty idea is to prepare a batch of pulled, barbequed turkey (you can keep it hot in the crock-pot) and serve with whole wheat buns and quartered dill pickles. Or buy several packages of turkey legs and toss them on the grill after a flavor-enhancing marinade in Simply Organic's Mesquite BBQ Marinade Mix. A pasta salad made with beans and sliced vegetables would make a tasty side dish, and would also provide an option for your vegetarian friends.
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If you’ll be serving grilled Buffalo Wings, be sure the dips you serve with them are also lower in fat and calories by preparing them with lowfat mayonnaise, lowfat sour cream, or plain yogurt. The dips can can be paired with a tray of healthy fresh-cut veggies – baby carrots, celery, cauliflower, broccoli, green onions, cucumbers, sliced red and green peppers, green beans, pea pods. Prepare in advance and store in sealable bags for quick and easy refilling on game day. You might be surprised how quickly the tray empties, and how often people go back for refills throughout the day!
Soups and chili are popular and convenient game day foods. A crock-pot of hearty Black Bean Soup with a selection of toppings on the side -- such as tortilla chips, chopped onions, jalapeno peppers, grated sharp cheddar cheese, sour cream, sliced black olives, along with a bottle of hot sauce, and diced cilantro -- is not only healthy, tasty and filling, but it can be prepared a day or two in advance so that you, too, can enjoy all the game day festivities. Here's a tasty chili recipe if you don't have a favorite of your own:
Or pick out something else that looks good from our list of Soup
& Chili recipes.
