Hey Rev Fam!
Whether you are or aren't a football fan, many of us DO end up hosting or attending a Super Bowl party or gathering. The U.S. Department of agriculture report that Super Bowl Sunday is the second biggest day for food consumption in the U.S. after Thanksgiving! That doesn't mean you HAVE to binge and devour all the sweet and salty snacks. However, you can still enjoy snacking and tasting everything without COMPLETELY feeling like you blew off your nutrition plan. Go to bed satisfied, without beating yourself up for excessive eating.
Here are a few tips to keep you on board with your plan towards achieving any health, nutrition and/or weight management goals you may have!
Tip 1: Offer to bring your own healthy meal, snack food, or veggie platter! (Veggies are great for mindless social munching. But watch out for that dip! Find a good recipe and make your own.)
Tip 2: Don't starve yourself prior to the party. Eat a balanced and portioned breakfast, lunch and dinner as usual to keep you from starving and ravenously eating at the party.
Tip 3: Drink water to help keep you full and hydrated.
Tip 4: Rest beforehand. When you are tired, your body is going to crave food in order to stay awake and find energy. You may crave sweet foods for the sugar rush.
Tip 5: Stick to your workout regimen. Extra physical activity that day will make it less likely to over indulge in food. Healthy habits follow healthy habits.
Tip 6: Stay away from the processed food. Chips, crackers, fries and bread are low-nutrient fillers that can throw your energy levels and cravings all over the place! These hyper-palatable foods are manufactured to make you want more and more, and don't really satiate your hunger.
Tip 7: Don't feel as though you have to finish EVERYTHING on your plate! Eat to satisfy hunger.
A Few Tips for Healthy Food Swaps
-Snack on Shrimp Cocktail instead of chips and dip. Shrimp adds a ton of protein to your diet, leaving you feeling full and satisfied. Make sure you aren’t drinking 2 cups of cocktail sauce with it.
- Buffalo wings grilled and hot sauced rather than fried.
-Or bake/grill chicken, dice in to cubes, smother in hot sauce. Lay on a platter with a toothpick in each piece of chicken for a quick, easy hors d'oeuvre.
- Use 93% or leaner ground beef or 99% lean ground turkey or chicken breast for chili to reduce the fat intake tremendously!
- Make a healthy layer dip with homemade guacamole, beans, salsa, reduced fat sour cream or Greek yogurt and top with fresh seasonings.
-For chips: Quest protein chips are a great high protein option that will satisfy your hunger and salt cravings.
- Use plain non-fat Greek yogurt to substitute sour cream and mayo.
- Serve veggies to dip into your layer dips instead of chips.
- For crunch, avoid chips and crackers and go for the veggies.
- Hummus, guacamole and bean dips can be nutrient dense swaps for dressings and highly processed dips.
- Use healthy alternatives for dessert: ex: Greek yogurt and fresh berry parfait, frozen bananas and strawberries lightly dipped in dark chocolate, etc.