The Big Game Party Playbook

How to score big with light bites for the Big Game 

You probably didn’t know that the day of the Big Game is the second highest day of food consumption in the US after Thanksgiving (USDA.org). How “big” is the intake during the game? According to the Calorie Control Council, Americans will eat 30 million pounds of snacks while watching the game, which breaks down to about 1,200 calories and 50 grams of fat per person from snacks alone that day!

That’s not hard to believe given popular game day snacks include wings, chips, creamy dips, pizza and basically anything with bacon. Make a few simple switches, and you can cut the calories and fat grams in half without anyone noticing.

5 Light Tips From My “Recipe Doctor” Party Playbook:

·      Make a play call on the appetizer line-up! Serve bean dip, hummus and guacamole instead of creamy high fat and calorie finger foods. They are  popular game day snacks containing smart fats, fiber, valuable plant compounds and protein in the case of beans. Fat free refried pinto or black beans are available in easy to use cans, and guacamole and hummus are available in supermarkets.

·      Go for the Quarterback Sneak – Dips are a must for any Big Game party, so do a trick play on your guests by swapping out some higher fat ingredients without losing any flavor. Instead of:

o   Mayonnaise--use a blend of light mayo and fat free sour cream or add a tablespoon of olive oil to every 4 tablespoons of nonfat Greek plain yogurt

o   Sour cream—use nonfat or light sour cream or nonfat plain yogurt

o   Cheese—choose reduced fat or part-skim cheese or use less of the regular cheese varieties

o   Cream cheese—use light cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese

·      Fun-to-eat finger food that’s good for you! In-shell nuts, fresh fruit, and raw veggies work great at a party, offering you something sweet (fruit), something crunchy (veggies) and something savory and satisfying (in-shell nuts). Raw veggies that work well are sugar snap peas, baby carrots, cucumber slices, jicama and celery sticks. In-shell nuts are slow to eat and fun to crack, a perfect snack during a game as a good source of protein, fiber, and other important nutrients. Peanuts are sure to please but there’s a new nut in town with fewer calories and more fiber—pistachios. They are grown in California and available in some fun flavors in your supermarket produce section.

·      Don’t fall for the REPLAY. Let’s be honest, beer is the most popular beverage on Big Game Sunday. Make sure to have plenty of desirable low- and no-calorie beverage options available so partygoers can easily alternate alcoholic beverages with non-alcoholic. Some that I like to serve are flavored mineral water, Diet Coke or Coke Zero, or unsweetened iced tea.

·      Stay ahead in the fourth quarter by exercising moderation. If you are serving cupcakes and cookies toward the end of the game, go for the mini cupcakes, bite-size cookies, or fun size and mini candy bars, so your guests can feed their sweet tooth more mindfully without going into overtime with calorie

 Elaine Magee, MPH, RD, is the author of 25 books on nutrition and healthy cooking and has worked as a nutrition expert/writer for a variety of organizations including WebMD.com, national magazines, Universities and companies and councils such as The Mushroom Council and The Coca-Cola Company. Elaine is known as THE RECIPE DOCTOR through her syndicated column she wrote for 10 years and numerous appearances on television and radio.