Your game-day party food doesn’t have to be limited to high-carb, fat-laden snacks. Curb those cravings for the usual fare by substituting lighter versions to reduce the calorie damage. Even sweet snacks can be adjusted to keep the sugar and fat intake low.
Since chips and creamy dips are the norm, swap out regular sour cream for a low-fat version or, better yet, fat-free plain Greek yogurt. No one will notice the difference, but it drastically reduces the fat count. Or use hummus for dipping. It’s made from high-fiber chickpeas and has loads of nutrients.
Hummus comes in many flavors, including roasted red pepper, garlic and jalapeño. Just be wary of those made with a lot of tahini since it has a high fat content. If you’re feeling ambitious, make your own hummus. All it takes is a can of chickpeas, a bit of lemon, salt and pepper, your favorite seasonings and a high-powered food processor for blending.
And if you cut back on the potato chips and use cut-up vegetables for the dip, you will have made this same old chip-and-dip dish into a fresh and healthy gourmet snack. If you must serve chips, use a large bowl and mix the chips with pretzels or another baked snack to reduce the fat count per handful.
Beer is a necessity at most game-day parties but offer a light version as well as wine spritzers, which call to dilute the wine with seltzer water thereby cutting the calories. Also, stock diet sodas instead of the regular sugar-laden kind. Have plenty of bottles of water at the ready to minimize consumption of calorie-loaded drinks.
There are always bowls of nuts out for a football-watching party. Cut the fat of these yummy morsels by mixing the nuts with pretzels and breakfast squares (such as Chex brand) for healthier fistfuls. You could even turn this into homemade Chex mix, just be sure to use low-sodium soy or Worcestershire sauce to minimize salt overload.
As famous as wings are at game-day gatherings, don’t use the wing portions of the chicken. Instead, use grilled chicken breast sliced into wing-size pieces and dress just as you would for wings: buffalo, teriyaki, honey or another favorite flavor.
If you want to bake something for the sweets lovers, just replace the oil called for in the recipe with Greek yogurt. Use 1/4 cup of yogurt for every 1/3 cup of oil, and you will cut the calories and fat dramatically as well as add a powerful protein punch. No one should be able to taste the difference, and you never know—they may actually think the sweets taste better that way.
With a few simple swaps, your party snacks will be healthier without anyone noticing—or minding—the difference. Keeping the richness of flavors, these quick fixes will have guests feeling guilt-free about indulging in game-day grub.
Post Author: andyc.
