HU: Healthy University–Snacks to Make on Superbowl Sunday

Come February 5^th, eyes will be glued to TV sets at exactly 6:30 pm, and mouths will be stuffed with countless wings (approximately 1.25 billion to be exact), pizza slices, sliders, and chips, all washed down with ice cold beer. Just because you enjoy the big game just as much as any football fan does, doesn’t mean you have to feel as bloated and overly stuffed as they do. Push the wings aside and bite down on another star player of Super Bowl buffets: vegetables!
 

It might come as a surprise, but a couple vegetable have their biggest day on Super Bowl Sunday.  The veggie in the lead: baby carrots. According to The Wall Street Journal, one of the biggest distributors of baby carrots: Grimmway Farms, sees about 25 percent higher carrot consumption on the eventful Sunday than a typical Sunday.  Similarly, another carrot distributor: Bolthouse Farms, ships 28 percent more baby carrots during the Super Bowl week than in weeks before.
 
Another veggie that makes a big impact come game day? Avocados. A whopping 71.4 million pounds are expected to be chowed down this coming Sunday. That’s a lot of guacamole. Speaking of dips, The Wall Street Journal also points out Dannon Yogurt is trying to squeeze their way into the spotlight on game day in the form of Greek yogurt dips.
 
Health food is not a main concern on Super Bowl Sunday, but with these numbers, there’s now proof that veggies and health food can take the spotlight away from the pounds of unhealthy food consumed.  Like any food that claims to be healthy, there is always a way to make it less so. Case in point: a 1 table spoon serving of ranch dip contains about 32 calories. This may seem like a small number, but that means just eight carrots dipped eight times equal to 260 calories. Guacamole can be full of healthy fats, but the added oils sometimes send it over the edge – and if you are dipping countless tortilla chips, don’t expect it to remain on the healthy list. 
 

Simple solutions to these sneaky health food disasters: try dipping your carrots in salsa instead of veggie dip. The combination might sound strange, but is actually very satisfying as a spicy snack. Salsa contains very little calories, which means it’s the perfect way to add a little zest to carrots. Feel free to do the same with guacamole. Carrots go great with the creamy avocado flavor – or choose a slightly better option than chips. Pretzels are usually lower in fat, but be careful overindulging – they can be addictive and still full of calories. If you can’t give up your dip, follow this yummy, healthy, and easy recipe made with Dannon Greek yogurt.
 
Enjoy the game on Sunday – and enjoy the game day healthy food options even more!