Healthy foods for your Super Bowl party

Holidays or special events usually lead to temptations of eating unhealthy food. The Super Bowl is known for its plentiful chicken wings, endless beer, creamy, fatty dips and so on. But there are so many ways to make easy substitutions in order to make sure the food you’re bringing to a party or serving at your own party is both healthy and delicious. Here are a few favorites.

SEE ALSO: One key step to successfully transform your body

Zucchini fries

French fries are delicious but those potatoes and fatty oils can add up to an uncomfortable, bloated belly. Zucchini is a perfect substitute for that starchy potato and they aren’t too expensive in the grocery store. It takes about ten or fifteen minutes to prep everything and then 20 minutes in the oven and voila, French fries made of green vegetables!

Ingredients:

• Cooking spray
• ½ cup bread crumbs
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3 zucchinis- ends trimmed, halved and cut into 1/2inch strips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.
2. Stir bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese together in a shallow bowl. Whisk eggs in a separate shallow bowl.
3. Working in batches, dip zucchini strips into egg mixture, shake to remove any excess, and roll strips in bread crumb mixture to coat. Transfer coated zucchini strips to the prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake zucchini fries in the preheated oven, turning once, until golden and crisp, 20 to 24 minutes.

Spinach artichoke dip

You can’t have a Super Bowl without dips! The traditional recipe of spinach artichoke dip used often in restaurants is loaded with full-fat mayo, sour cream and cream cheese even though the name often suggests healthy. Serve with whole wheat pita chips or raw veggies and you’ll feel good about munching out on this dish.

Ingredients:

• 2 (14 oz) cans artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
• 1 (10 oz) package frozen spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry
• 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 (8 oz) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened and cut in 1/2″ cubes
• 1 (8 oz) block fat-free cream cheese, softened and cut in 1/2″ cubes
• 4 cloves garlic, minced (1 tablespoon)
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced (optional garnish)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Set aside half of the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. In a large bowl, stir together all the remaining ingredients except for the red bell pepper.
3. Spoon the mixture into a greased or sprayed 1-1/2 to 2 quart baking dish.
4. Sprinkle top with remaining cheeses.
5. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes or until you notice it’s starting to get bubbly and golden.

SEE ALSO: Simple trick to decrease your waist line

Grilled buffalo “wings”

Wings are a Super Bowl favorite but a normal tubful of takeout chicken weighs in at around 1,000 calories. This recipe has only 200 per serving. Swap out wings for chicken tenders; they have more protein and fewer calories. Serve some sliced up carrots and celery on the side, both of which are excellent for the spinach artichoke dip mentioned above.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of chicken tenders
• salt
• ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup prepared Buffalo wing sauce
• 4 ribs celery, cut into sticks
• 4 carrots, cut into sticks
• 2 cucumbers cut into spears
• 1/3 cup fat-free ranch dressing

Directions:

1. Season the chicken tenders to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Coat a ridged grill pan with olive oil spray and heat over medium-high heat, or heat an electric countertop griller. Grill the chicken, turning once, about 4 minutes, or until browned and no longer pink in the thickest part. Cut into bite-sized pieces. Transfer to a bowl and toss with the Buffalo sauce.
3. Place the chicken on a platter with the celery, carrots, cucumbers, and the ranch dressing for dipping. Serve with a good supply of wooden picks.

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