Make Super Bowl Menus Healthy

Super Bowl Sunday is one of my favorite Sundays of the year!  Looking for ideas on how to make your menu healthy? Follow some of my tips below so that your food spread will be one that pleases everyone and keeps your waistline happy too!

Display the Colors of the Rainbow: 

Set out big trays of fresh fruits and veggies and pair them with protein rich hummus or my Peanut Butter Honey Yogurt Dip.  These trays not only add a splash of color to your table, but they are the supreme “power snacks” combining high fiber complex carbs with protein and heart healthy fats.  The combo of fiber, protein and fat help you to feel more full on less calories.

Swap Out Sour Cream for Plain Greek Yogurt

When you swap out sour cream in recipes or dips and replace it with Greek yogurt, you cut back on empty calories and gain the benefits of probiotics and increased protein intake.  Together this simple switch allows you to feed your gut flora and improve your feeling of fullness through the increased protein.  Yogurt is an excellent source of calcium, and some brands also fortify their yogurts with vitamin D.  Some ideas for a swap is to use Greek yogurt on top of nachos, within potato salads and onion dips. Try it out in my Healthy 7 – Layer Dip .

Use Boneless Chicken Breasts in Place of Wings

Wings are good, but they are also very high in fat and very low in protein.  Use your wing recipe with cut up chunks of boneless chicken breasts for a hearty and healthier option to wings.  Check out my Honey Baked Sriracha Chicken Bites for a tasty and enjoyable alternative to wings.

Use Whole Grain Tortilla Chips and Crackers vs. Regular Chips and Crackers

There are so many great and enjoyable varieties of whole grain tortilla chips and crackers on the market.  Some have flax or chia seeds in them which give them an extra crunch.  Fiber is the key benefit in these products.  Not only will the fiber help to keep your colon health in check, but increased fiber will help to lower your cholesterol levels too.  Pair these yummy snack foods with healthy fruit and veggie salsas and you have a wholesome snack that will be filling and easy on your waistline.

Recipes Featured in Blog:

Peanut Butter Honey Yogurt Dip

Ingredients:

• 1 (5.3 oz.) plain Greek yogurt
• 1 (5.3 oz.) vanilla Greek yogurt
  • Note: It would be best to have the yogurt be all plain Greek, to cut back on added sugar. Let the sugar come from honey only.
• 1/3 cup creamy natural peanut butter
• 1 Tbsp. honey, or to taste

Preparation:

1. Add all ingredients to a bowl and whisk to blend until smooth
2. Serve with fruit such as bananas, oranges, raspberries, strawberries, and grapes
3. Makes plenty, so be sure to store in an airtight container in the fridge

Healthy 7-Layer Dip

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (8oz.), plain, nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1 Tbsp. finely minced fresh cilantro
• 1/2  tsp. oregano flakes
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• dash of ground cayenne pepper to taste (optional)
• 2 medium avocados, peeled, pitted, and mashed
• 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 3 cups fresh shredded baby spinach
• 1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained, rinsed, and chopped coarsely in a mini food processor
• 1 cup of your favorite chunky salsa
• 1/2 cup of reduced-fat (2% milk) shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 fresh plum tomatoes, diced
• 2 to 3 scallions, chopped
• 10 black olives, pitted and diced

Preparation:

1. In a small bowl, combine the yogurt with cilantro, oregano, cumin, chili powder and ground cayenne pepper.  Set aside.
2. In another small bowl, combine the mashed avocado and fresh lemon juice.  Set aside.
3. Place the finely chopped spinach in a clear serving bowl.  Spoon in the mashed black beans on top of the spinach.  Use a spatula to spread the yogurt mixture over the beans.  Spread the avocado mixture over the yogurt.  Spoon the salsa over the avocado mixture.  Sprinkle with the cheese and top with a layer each of plum tomatoes, olives, and scallions.  Serve, if desired with a selection of bell peppers, celery or carrot sticks, or with baked multigrain chips.

Honey-Baked Sriracha Chicken Bites

Servings 8

Ingredients:

To bake chicken:

• 2-4 lbs. chicken breasts, cut up into bite size strips
• 6 Tbsp. Sriracha sauce
• 3 Tbsp. canola oil
• 5 tsp. salt
• 5 tsp. fresh ground pepper
• ½ cup panko bread crumbs

Glaze:

• ½ cup honey
• 4 Tbsp. apricot jam
• 4 Tbsp. Sriracha sauce
• 2 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
• 4 tsp. lime juice
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced

Preparation: 

1. Heat oven to 425°F. Line two glass casserole dishes with foil and spray with cooking spray.

2. In a small bowl, mix together Sriracha sauce, oil, salt and pepper.

3. Place chicken strips into a bowl and pour Sriracha sauce mixture over top. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for at least 30 minutes.

4. In a shallow bowl, add ½ cup of the panko bread crumbs. When chicken strips are done marinating, roll each strip in the panko crumbs to evenly cover it and then place the finished strip into the lined casserole dish.

5. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes. Turn the strips over and rotate the casserole dishes.  Bake for another 15 minutes or until golden brown and juice from thickest breast strip runs clear   or the thickest part registers at 165°F.

6. While the chicken in baking, add all of the ingredients for the glaze into a small 1-quart size sauce pan and heat until a simmering boil over medium heat. Continue to simmer, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside.

7. Once strips are done baking, take them out and cover them with the glaze and serve immediately.