Despite consuming a generally healthy diet, I don’t usually make a great effort to avoid special-occasion treats. Christmas, birthdays, and, yes, the Super Bowl will bring out foods you don’t normally (and definitely shouldn’t normally) eat. But, life is about balance, and I do enjoy a good birthday cake.
So I’m not going to suggest that you just serve big salads at your Super Bowl party, but there are a few ways to make your favorite snacks a little bit healthier.
I have no scientific backing on this, but I would bet that (perhaps after hot wings), salsa is #1 of Super Bowl snacks. So easy and so delicious. It’s also very easy to make.
When you get store-bought salsa, you might be getting all sorts of ingredients you don’t necessarily want to put in your body. Homemade salsa is so much easier than I never imagined. Big thanks to my friend Stephanie of Locos Panama who taught me how to make this! I’ve since adjusted the recipe to my own tastes, and it changes a little bit each time I make it, but it’s always good.
Roasted Tomato Salsa
5 big tomatoes
6 garlic cloves (to taste–I love garlic so sometimes I use even more than this)
1/2 large onion
1/2 jalapeño (or other spicy pepper, to taste–I’ve also used red pepper flakes)
1 T chicken bouillon
1 t cumin
1 t oregano
1 t turmeric (I can’t help it–I try to put it in everything)
salt to taste
Cut the tomatoes in halves or thirds and roast them. You can do it in the oven, but I often do it on the stove top even though it’s a bit messy (splattering oil). If you’re going stove top, put some oil in a skillet, let it heat, and add your tomatoes, garlic, and jalapeño slices. Let them heat until blackened.
Put the roasted veggies plus the onion, spices, and bouillon in a blender. Blend until smooth.
Seriously, that’s it. So good. When I make this, I just go around finding meals I can make that will serve as an excuse to eat this. It’s a total upgrade from a store jar of salsa.
Here are some simple changes to make to your Super Bowl Snacks.
Improve Your Taco Dip or Seven-Layer Dip
Instead of using canned refried beans, prepare black beans and blend them with a little salt, garlic, and maybe a hot pepper until smooth, and use that as the base for your taco dip. Still delicious, because we all know taco dip is really about what’s on top. Stick with your full-fat cheese and sour cream–maybe just use a little less of it and pile on the black olives, tomatoes, and lettuce (maybe Romaine!).
Fancify Some Vegetables
We just made this the other night and I would have eaten the whole plate myself if I hadn’t had to share with my aunt and sister: asparagus wrapped in prosciutto in a balsamic glaze. Asparagus is so healthy and delicious on its own, but with the prosciutto and glaze it becomes something pretty special. And…it’s still a finger food. Wrap a piece (or bundle them as two or three) in a slice of prosciutto, sprinkle lightly with salt, and put them on a cookie sheet in the oven for about 15 minutes at 425 degrees. Drizzle with balsamic glaze (you can buy it here
Offer Healthier Options
Great idea to put out a vegetable tray, but instead of a bunch of cream-based dips (think ranch dressing or French onion), why not offer guacamole, that homemade salsa, hummus, and bean-based dips instead? They’re all good and can be made at home. While we’re at it, why not baked chips instead of traditional greasy potato chips?
In the end, it’s one day and it’s not going to totally derail your healthy efforts. Enjoy!
What’s on your game day menu this year?
