Healthy Game-Day and Super Bowl Snack Ideas

WMCHealth registered dietitians offer tips and recipes to help ensure your football fare is tasty and nutritious for the big game.

By Lisa Cesarano
As seen in the January/February 2020 issue of Advancing Care

Let’s face it: When it comes to football season, watching the game is just one part of the fun. On any given game day, gathering to cheer on your favorite team also means the opportunity to socialize and eat delicious yet high-fat and high-calorie snacks.

Here, a team of WMCHealth registered dieticians — who provide patients with the knowledge and skills necessary to manage their weight, and to improve their health through nutrition — share their top tips for creating healthy game-day fare — plus some recipes.

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Contributors to this article: Pauline Hackney, RD, and Ashley Gardell, RD, Westchester Medical Center; Fran Doellinger, RD, Kim Matthews, RD, Alexa Favorito, RD, and Alison Sullivan, RD, Good Samaritan Hospital; and Jaclyn Meyer, RD, HealthAlliance Hospital.

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1: Choose vegetable-based appetizers for lower calories and more nutrients.

For example, assemble vegetable platters with low-fat dips or hummus. Baked or roasted vegetable snacks can be lower in calories and fat, while providing heart-healthy fiber and phytonutrients (substances in plants that may have protective health benefits).

2: Use low-fat dairy products.

When making creamy dips and sauces, substitute low-fat or fat-free mayonnaise, sour cream, cheese or plain Greek yogurt in place of the full-fat options.

3: Include beans and whole grains.

Doing so will add heart-healthy fiber. The soluble fiber in beans can promote a feeling of fullness, as well as help lower blood cholesterol, blood pressure and inflammation.

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Nutrition Counseling Services at WMCHealth

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Kidney disease
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Call on Us:
Westchester Medical Center . . . . . . . 914.493.7667
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HealthAlliance Hospitals . . . . . . . . . . 845.334.4249
Good Samaritan Hospital . . . . . . . . . 845.547.3357
St. Anthony Community Hospital . . 845.987.5168
Bon Secours Community Hospital . . 845.858.7795

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Black Bean Dip

1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed
½ cup prepared salsa (hot or mild)
2 T. fresh lime juice
2 T. chopped fresh cilantro
¼ tsp. ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste (optional)

Combine black beans, salsa, lime juice, cilantro and cumin in a food processor. Process until smooth.

Season with salt and pepper to taste (optional).

Spicy Cauliflower Bites

1 c. water
1 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. garlic powder
6-½ c. fresh cauliflower florets
¾ c. hot sauce
1 T. melted unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly spray a large non-stick baking sheet with oil.

Combine water, flour and garlic powder in a bowl and stir well until combined. Coat the cauliflower pieces with the flour mixture and place on the baking sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes.

While the cauliflower is baking, combine the hot sauce and butter in a small bowl. Pour the hot sauce mixture over the baked cauliflower and continue baking for five additional minutes.

Dark Chocolate Brownies

This black-bean dark-chocolate brownie recipe is perfect for a game day dessert that eliminates the added oil and eggs to cut back on fat and cholesterol.

1 box dark chocolate brownie mix
15 oz. can black beans

Drain and rinse beans. Place back in can, then fill can with water. Place contents in blender or food processor and puree.

In a mixing bowl, mix together dry brownie mix with pureed beans.

Pour in pan prepared per back of brownie mix.

Be sure the mix is poured in as evenly as possible. Because of the thickness of the batter, it will not level out during baking.

Bake in oven according to directions on brownie mix. You may need to bake a little longer to cook through. Makes 16 servings

Healthier Artichoke Dip

13.75 oz. can/jar artichoke hearts packed in water (drained)
2 T. chopped shallots
¼ c. fat-free Greek yogurt
¼ c. light mayonnaise
1/3 c. Parmesan cheese
½ c. shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 T. whole wheat or regular bread crumbs
Olive oil spray
Salt and pepper to taste (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a small food processor, coarsely chop the artichoke hearts with the shallots.  Combine artichokes, yogurt, mayonnaise, parmesan cheese, mozzarella, salt and pepper (optional) in a medium bowl. 

Place in an oven-proof dish and top with bread crumbs.

Lightly spray the crumbs with olive oil, then bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes until cheese is melted. 

Serve right away. Makes about 2 ½ cups.