Having the Super Bowl the first weekend in February is an assault on all the well-intentioned people who make New Year’s Resolution to eat healthier. One month into the new year and BAM you’re hit with an event that gives everyone an excuse to eat things like chicken wings and nachos.
Yes, I just had to google “super bowl food” to see what normal people eat at Super Bowl parties. I’m well aware of my location outside of the regular folk who know these things thankyouverymuch.
The Super Bowl is just one of a string of events that could lead to an entire year of unhealthy eating (and drinking) if we let it. After the Super Bowl, there’s Valentine’s Day. Then it’s Fat Tuesday, St. Patty’s Day, Easter, Cinco De Mayo, summer cookouts, the 4th of July…you get my drift.
Rather than use every event as an excuse to eat unhealthy food, I propose we create delicious alternatives that don’t taste like deprivation. While I think it’s totally fine to indulge in things like wings and nachos on occasion, if you have a goal in mind that you’re working towards (like losing weight after having a baby), here are some choices that are kinder not only to your waist line, but your total health.
Everyone loves guacamole, so why not whip up this Football Game Guacamole?
Instead of regular potato chips, try these delicious veggie chips. They’re always a crowd favorite.
Dips and spreads make perfect Super Bowl food; this vegan carrot spread is a healthy choice.
If you are looking for some healthy finger foods, try these quinoa pizza balls. They are fantastic and perfect for all ages!
You could also make Cocoa-dusted almonds, Parmesan Roasted Chickpeas, or these cute little Spinach-Cheese bites (great toddler food, too!).
If you are feeding a crowd and need a main dish idea, try these Vegan Sloppy Joes. They are fast and easy, too. Another option is my Three Bean Vegan Chili, which can be made in the slow cooker. Easy peasy!
If you need something sweet, make these healthier than the usual Brown Rice Crispy Treats. No one ever guesses that these are healthy!
I hope this gives you some ideas for healthy alternatives to the usual Super Bowl food. Now you can watch the game, eat delicious food, and keep those New Year’s resolutions in check.
Tim’s from Massachusetts, so we’ll be cheering for the Patriots to pull out a victory. Although Meghan’s not sure if they are going to be her team or not. When we were trying to test her allegiance one day, I said, “Daddy likes the Patriots and Mommy likes the Lions. Which team do you like?”
She paused, and then answered confidently, “I like the Monkeys!”
Maryea is a stay-at-home mom on a mission to feed her family wholesome, real foods and stay a sane, happy mama at the same time! Click here to get free email updates with her posts:
Thanks so much! I definitely need these with buffalo chicken dip staring me in the face.
hahahahahaha, that is so funny!
And I love your recipes!
Haha, I’m with Meghan!
Love all your ideas. Those veggie chips look so good, I still need to try those out!
I have been looking for a list of good super bowl food to think about making. All of the other lists have left something to be desired: health. I love your list of foods! ….Go monkeys!
For real though– Go Giants!
You can easily make 7-layer dip healthy. Black beans, veggie refried beans, greek yogurt, tomatoes, ect… Then serve it with toasted tortillas cut into wedges. YUM!
Good call. I haven’t had 7 layer dip in a long time. Now I am craving some!
I think I’ll be rooting for the monkeys too, seeing as how I don’t even know who is playing! I’m just watching to see Madonna’s half time show! I still want to make those chips, but I *still* don’t have a mandoline. (Santa dropped the ball on that this year.)
I like the idea of doing salsa and guacamole instead of queso. I think that party-goers should realize that the healthier the snacks, the more they can get away with eating!
Exactly! I think the key is to have the healthy snacks TASTE good, so they don’t know the difference.
So many mouth-watering recipes! I think I’ll start off making your veggie chips, guacamole and parmesan coated chickpeas… and the Three Bean Chili!
Great recipes! I think it’s so easy to make delicious healthy treats, but people would just rather take the easy way out! My sister and I are making kale chips to bring to our brothers super-bowl party!
Kale chips are a great option, too. My husband is trying to convince me that no one wants healthy options at a Super Bowl party. Grrrr….
Thank you so much for this post. I printed off several of your recipes and plan on making them for my family for our Super Bowl party. I can’t wait to taste the quinoa pizza balls and yogurt ranch dip! Have a great day.
I hope you enjoy the recipes–have a great party!
This is a fabulous resource! It can be such a challenge finding nutritious options at Super Bowl events and definitely difficult to stick to your healthy eating goals. One of our favorites Super Bowl snacks is homemade trail mix. We like to boost the nutritional value of it by adding things like almonds, dried fruit, and bits of cereal like Kellogg’s FiberPlus(R) Cinnamon Oat Crunch for unique flavors and nutrient power.
loving all your posts lately! I completely understand that you’ve been busy with adjusting to your new life, but I’m really glad to have your posts back to look forward to! I live in Cincinnati and you are one of my favorite blogs I read!
Also, your children are absolutely adorable
Thank you, Amy, so much. Your comment made my day.
I hope that I can get back to posting more than just a few times a week soon.
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Love the choices, the pizza balls are amazing! The spinach-cheese hearts are too cute and a great way to get in a few greens. Thanks for the ideas. Have a fun weekend!
Thanks, Amy, you too!