Super Bowl Sunday is not just about the game, it’s about the food (actually who are we kidding, it’s about the commercials), but Super Bowl Sunday equals Super Bowl junk food time.
Items like chips, dips, wings, and pizza are standard, but maybe this is a good time to offer up healthier fare. Reduce empty calories, sugar, and fat intake by making these better-for-you alternatives to the classics. Flavor packed foods don’t need to go away come game time, but you’ll need to pass on the store-bought snacks and take-out food—they’re loaded with fat and sodium.
Super Bowl XLVII Chili
Ingredients;
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cups finely chopped onion, divided (about 2 medium)
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 pound coarsely ground skinless turkey breast
- 1 (12-ounce) can light beer
- ½ pound vegetarian(tofu) crumbles, like Smart Ground®
- 1 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 3 diced tomatoes
- 1 (8-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce
- 1 (15-ounce) can low sodium kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (15-ounce) can low sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
- ½ cup reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup diced onion
- ½ chopped scallions
Preparation:
- Using a medium sized heavy bottom pot, over medium heat, add your olive oil, then add your onions and garlic, cook until they just start to brown.
- Increase heat to medium-high and add ground turkey to the pot continue to cook until browned, stirring continuously.
- Add beer to deglaze, scraping the bottom and sides of the pot to incorporate all the flavor left behind from the browning process, cook until liquid is reduced to 1/3 cup.|
- Stir in chili powder, vegetarian crumbles, Worcestershire sauce, salt, cumin, diced tomatoes, and tomato sauce.
- Cover, reduce to low heat, and simmer 10 minutes.
- Stir in beans, continue to cook for about 20 minutes, or until chili thickens.
- Adjust seasoning as needed, top with reduced fat
Calories: 278 Fat:4.7g Saturated fat:3.4g Monounsaturated fat:2.2g Polyunsaturated fat: 0.6g Protein:33.1g Carbohydrate:20.3g Cholesterol:27mg Sodium:423mg
Here’s a healthy alternative for chips and salsa.
Baked Pita Chips
Ingredients:
- 6 whole wheat pitas
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ground black pepper
- Kosher salt
Preparation:
- Split pitas apart, and cut each into 8 wedges. Place wedges in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees or until crisp.
Calories: 76 Fat:0.9g Saturated fat:0.3g Monounsaturated fat:0.4g Polyunsaturated fat:0.3g Protein:2.4g Carbohydrate:14.2g Cholesterol:1mg Sodium:144mg
Guacamole
Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup red onion, diced
- 1 cup tomato, diced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 tablespoon lime juice, fresh
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 serrano chile, finely diced
- 2 avocadoes, diced
Preparation:
- Combine all your ingredients, mix gently, adjust seasoning to taste.
Calories: 166 Fat:7.5g Saturated fat:1.1g Monounsaturated fat:5g Polyunsaturated fat:0.9g Protein:1.7g Carbohydrate:21.8g Cholesterol:0.0mg Sodium: 201mg
Salsa
Ingredients:
- 6 plum tomatoes
- 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and diced
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Preparation:
- Combine all your ingredients, mix gently, adjust seasoning to taste.
Calories: 23 Fat:0.3g Saturated fat:0.0g Monounsaturated fat:0.1g Polyunsaturated fat:0.1g Protein:0.9g Carbohydrate:5g Cholesterol:0.0mg Sodium:106mg
ABOUT CHEF RICHARD
Chef Richard Plasencia, executive chef at West Kendall Baptist Hospital, joined Baptist Health South Florida in 2011. He is an award-winning chef who is passionate about creating and sharing fresh local and seasonal recipes seasoned with flavor and good health. In addition to an interest in nutrition, Chef Richard has an extensive history in the hospitality industry.
He served as Chef at Town Kitchen & Bar, Jake’s, the Hyatt Regency Coral Gables, the Shore Club, Por Fin, and the Conrad Hotel. He also was also part of several teams that received the Mobile 4 and 5 star awards, as well as Cioppino being named to America’s Top 50 restaurants by Esquire Magazine 2005, during his time at the Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne. Chef Richard Plasencia graduated from Johnson & Wales University with a Bachelor of Science in culinary arts.