Burgers, wings, cheesy dips and ribs... they’re all fabulously delicious and make common appearances at football parties. But if you’re trying to lose weight or even maintain your weight throughout the season they can be tempting little devils just waiting to get you. So how do you enjoy the game without putting on the pounds without skipping the party altogether? Other than using something like garcinia cambogia (my husband uses) or some type of appetite suppressant, try these takes on football and super bowl recipes...
A Healthier Cheesy Spicy Dip
This dip is awesome and goes great with chips (Make your own by simply cutting up tortillas, sprinkle with seasoning and put on a baking sheet in the oven for a few minutes!). But you can also mix this up, spread it on some tortillas, roll ‘em up and make easy spicy, cheesy roll-ups – yum!
- Dice up about ½ cup of sweet yellow onion
- Get a tablespoon of vegetable oil
- Chop up a small tomato
- Dice some green chiles or a jalapeno (depending on how spicy you want it)
- Prepare half a cup of chicken broth (I just use the granules in a jar to make it)
- 1 pound of your favorite cheese (I always use Cheddar and Pepperjack, because my husband loves it spicy - if you have a cheese freak in the house feel free to add more!)
- Worcestershire sauce (just a dab)
Heat the oil in a saucepan. Once it’s nice and hot, add your tomato, chiles and onion and cook until they soften up some and the onion becomes a little translucent. Slowly stir in the broth and add a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Let it cook until it comes to a boil. Reduce the heat and stir in your cheese. Keep stirring until it becomes smooth and creamy. Transfer to a bowl for dipping or spread on your tortillas and roll ‘em up. Serve while it’s still nice and warm.
Chips that are Good for You! 
Love the taste and crispiness of chips – BBQ, cheesy, garlic or whatever your favorite may be? Skip the fat entirely and actually feed your body some nutrients. The secret? Kale. Yep, kale. Get a batch of Kale.
Remove the stems
Wash it all up really good and lay out on some paper towels for an hour or two or until it’s completely dry
Once dry, tear them into smaller, bite-size pieces
Lay them evenly on a parchment lined baking sheet
Spray it all lightly with olive oil cooking spray (Some people toss them in olive oil, but I find it easier just to get the spray. I noticed some interesting sprays at the store the other day you could try, too. They have different flavors of olive oil spray. The only one I remember is garlic, but it’s definitely something you could try)
Bake in the oven at 275 ºF for about 10 minutes, toss and flip them and bake for another 10 minutes or so or until nice and crispy (Some people like to bake at a higher degree, around 450 ºF for around ten minutest. Test it out and see how you like it best.)
Remove from oven and sprinkle with your favorite seasonings. Jeff Mauro has an amazing BBQ seasoning here.
You can find 36 more healthy football snacks and super bowl recipes at WholeLiving.
Do you have a favorite football snack that’s healthy or has been transformed to be a healthier version? Please share them in the comments below, I'd love to see some new or original ideas. Share this post with your football fan friends :)
*Kale chips photo courtesy of joyosity via Flickr
