Healthy Superbowl Snacks

The Super Bowl is one of the biggest calorie-fests of the year for many Americans. Getting your fruits and vegetables may be the last thing on your mind on Superbowl Sunday. The average football fan eats about a day's worth of calories during the game, and the U.S. Calorie Control Council estimates that Americans pack away 11 million pounds of chips on Super Bowl Sunday. Don’t give it another thought. Snack on these delicious and healthy game day recipes.

Lemon-Drop Chicken Wings

Ingredients

chicken wings, split and patted dry

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Salt and ground black pepper

1 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1/3 cup each: lemon juice and chicken broth

4 medium garlic cloves, minced

1. Toss wings with oil, a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper, sugar, and Italian seasonings in a medium bowl. 

2. Spray a large rimmed baking sheet with vegetable cooking spray; arrange wings in a single layer. Adjust oven rack to lowest position. 

3. Set baking sheet on oven rack in cold oven and preheat to 450 degrees. Roast for 30 minutes. 

4. Remove wings from oven and use a metal spatula to turn wings; continue to roast until golden brown, about 10 minutes longer.

5. Meanwhile mix lemon juice, broth and garlic. Pour over wings; return to oven; roast to blend flavors, about 5 minutes longer. Scrape wings and sauce onto a platter and serve.

Calories: 173

 

Warm Spinach Artichocke Dip

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 (16-ounce) can lima (or butter) beans, drained

1 cup light mayonnaise

4 ounce fat-freecream cheese

1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)***

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon mustard

1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained

1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry

3/4 cup pre-shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup sliced green onions

1 tablespoon  lemon juice

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Combine first 8 ingredients (through mustard) in a food processor, and process until smooth (about 15-20 seconds).

3. Add remaining ingredients; pulse 5 times, then process until mixture is consistent throughout (about 10 seconds). With a rubber spatula, transfer mixture evenly to a 1-quart casserole dish, smoothing top.

4. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly at the edges. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes.

Calories: 59

White Bean Dip

Ingredients

1 (15-ounce) can Cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/4 cup loosely packed chopped fresh sage leaves

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

 Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation

1. Place Cannellini beans in bowl, and mash with fork; set aside.

2. Heat a small pan over medium heat; add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, and let it warm.

3. Add garlic, and chopped fresh sage leaves. Stir constantly for 4 minutes or until garlic is brown and sage is crispy.

4. Pour hot oil over beans; stir. Garnish with 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, and add salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and store in fridge up to 1 week.

Black Bean Hummus with Fresh Veggies

Ingredients

1 15-ounce can black beans, drained

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons tahini

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Juice of 1 small lime

Salt and freshly-ground pepper, to taste

Preparation

1. Place the beans, garlic, tahini, cumin, oil, and lime juice in a food processor. Whirl until the mixture is smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

2. Serve in a bowl, garnished with a sprinkle of paprika. 

Black Bean Hummus can be kept for 4 to 5 days, tightly covered in the refrigerator.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium red onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons sea salt

1 large sweet potato, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Zest and juice of 1 lime

1 28-can diced tomatoes

4 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained (or 6 cups freshly cooked)

1 tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon cocoa powder

1 lime, cut into wedges

1 cup chopped cilantro leaves, washed and dried

Preparation

1. Warm the oil in a large pan over medium heat and add the onion, garlic, and salt. Saute until soft, about 4 minutes.

2. Add the sweet potato and lime zest, and cook 10 to 15 minutes more, continuing to stir occasionally.

3. Add the tomatoes, black beans, lime juice, cumin, and cocoa, bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.

4. Serve over brown rice, if desired, with lime wedges and cilantro, or with corn bread, biscuits, or taco chips alongside.

Sweet Potato Fries

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges or strips

1 tablespoon olive oil

Coarse salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 425F.

2. Toss the potatoes with the oil, salt and pepper, then place in a single layer on a lightly-oiled baking sheet.

3. Bake 20 minutes, then turn and bake another 20 minutes, until soft inside and crisp outside (if you cut the fries very thin, you’ll want to keep an eye on them to prevent burning). Serve hot.

Sweet Dipping Sauce

Whisk together 1/2 cup plain or Greek-style yogurt, 1/4 cup maple syrup, and cinnamon to taste. Use as a dip for the baked sweet potatoes.

Savory Variation of sauce

Add one minced garlic clove, 1/8 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese and some chopped fresh parsley to the fries as soon as they come out of the oven.

Add 1 teaspoon dried rosemary to oiled and salted potato wedges and bake as above.