Food
Super Bowl LV Snack Attack: Classics Vs. Healthy
Slide Nr 1For millions of Americans – whether fans of US football or not – the Super Bowl means a lazy Sunday spent couch-side rooting on their favourite team while screaming at the TV, catching funny commercials and tossing back a beer or two. For many of us, it’s also an excuse to throw our heath resolutions right out the window with heaping plates of fried foods, creamy dips, appetisers and desserts that are easy to eat with your fingers – but hard on your insides.
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Food
Super Bowl LV Snack Attack: Classics Vs. Healthy .
Slide Nr 2What if there were a way to maximise pleasure on the palate while minimising damage to our healthy eating plans? According to licensed Nutritionist and Master in Integrative Health Maureen Rieras, many people think that improving their eating habits requires an all-or-nothing approach. But that’s not the case. “It’s the small decisions that matter most,” she explains. “Small changes will add up in the long run. Most importantly, whatever you put on your plate, make a point to truly enjoy it!” With this in mind, we took 10 of the USA’s most iconic Super Bowl snacks and put them to the challenge, offering useful recipes – whether you want to trim it down or go the whole nine yards.
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Food
Super Bowl LV Snack Attack: Classics Vs. Healthy .
Slide Nr 3Loaded Potato Skins – The classic recipe takes a baked potato and every imaginable topping and turns it outside in. Potatoes are baked, halved, scraped out and often fried before filling them up with sour cream, gooey cheese, salty bacon and chives. As an alternative, try using sweet potatoes stuffed with black bean filling. This recipe is crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside, but the beans are fibre-rich and filling, so you’ll end up eating less. A little cheese on top satisfies the palate without overdoing it. [Photo: Flavio Ensiki/Wikimedia Commons]
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Food
Super Bowl LV Snack Attack: Classics Vs. Healthy .
Slide Nr 4Spinach Artichoke Dip – Don’t be fooled by the name, this creamy, savoury dip is served oven-warm over crusty bread or alongside tortilla chips. It even turns plates of raw veggies into little calorie bombs with its base of mayonnaise and cream cheese. There are two ways to lighten up this dish: Either use less dairy by substituting Greek yogurt for mayo, or cut out the dairy completely and use cashews instead. Either way you’ll get a dose of healthful spinach and artichokes mixed with just enough dairy or blended cashews to make it spoon-worthy.
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Food
Super Bowl LV Snack Attack: Classics Vs. Healthy .
Slide Nr 6Chili – Chili is a hearty beef and bean stew in a sweet tomato base. When topped with cheese and sour cream, it really packs on the calories, fat, sodium and cholesterol. Rieras suggests swapping out the beef for a variety of vegetables. This decreases the calories and fat without sacrificing flavour. Filling up on a belly-warming veggie stew also means less temptation to overindulge in other foods.
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Food
Super Bowl LV Snack Attack: Classics Vs. Healthy .
Slide Nr 7Pigs In A Blanket – Yes, yes, we know that the UK has a different perspective on ‘pigs in blankets’, which are small sausages wrapped in delicious bacon, for the uninitiated. But hey, this is the Super Bowl, so we’re sticking with the US approach here. Typically, pigs in a blanket involve hot dog or cocktail wieners that are quartered, wrapped in pastry dough, baked to a buttery crisp, and served with mustard and ketchup. The best way to make this recipe healthier is to avoid it all together, but if you must indulge the craving, substitute mini turkey dogs – or even a vegetarian meat alternative – for beef or pork, and try giving them a ‘belt’ instead of a ‘blanket’. The amount of dough you use for each little ‘pig’ is ultimately up to you. [Photo: DSC_8861/Wikimedia Commons]
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Food
Super Bowl LV Snack Attack: Classics Vs. Healthy .
Slide Nr 9Sliders – Sliders are standard fare on the Super Bowl buffet. Mini beef burgers with all the trimmings can be baked in batches and are way too easy to eat while reclining during the game. Before you know it, you’ve probably had more than one normal-sized burger. Try using ground turkey or veggie patties, and serve them open-faced or wrapped in lettuce leaves to reduce excess carbs. Pro tip: Add some spice to your toppings, like fresh jalapeños or Chinese chili crisp. It’s harder to overindulge when your mouth is on fire.
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Food
Super Bowl LV Snack Attack: Classics Vs. Healthy .
Slide Nr 11Peanut Butter Cups – Peanut butter is popular throughout the American culinary canon in both savoury and sweet recipes. Easy to make and even easier to eat, the chocolate peanut butter cup candy confection is rarely amiss on game day. Luckily the earthy, nutty flavour of peanut butter lends itself to sugar substitutes like honey or maple syrup, while coconut oil adds healthy fat and more natural sweetness. Keep your eye on the calories, but there’s little to feel guilty about in this healthy alternative. [Photo: Famartin/Wikimedia Commons]
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Food
Super Bowl LV Snack Attack: Classics Vs. Healthy .
Slide Nr 12Brownies – Blissfully rich and bite-sized, brownies are another Super Bowl staple. It’s easy to bake a pan of them in advance and slice and serve on game day. If chewy and chocolaty is your goal, you can get there with a flourless, protein-packed recipe that uses black beans and oats. According to Rieras, you have to try it to believe it, and it’s absolutely worth it.
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