BETHLEHEM, Pa. — This Super Bowl Sunday, half of the people who get together will do so for the football, the other half for the food.
From buffalo chicken dip to chili, all the football food favorites will be on display during the big game.
"I think it's fun to have some of those high-fat things in moderation. But as dietitians, of course, we always throw some low-fat, healthful options into the mix.”Suzanne Ickes, a Sodexo clinical dietitian for Lehigh Valley Health Network
"I think it's fun to have some of those high-fat things in moderation," said Suzanne Ickes, a Sodexo clinical dietitian for Lehigh Valley Health Network.
"But as dietitians, of course, we always throw some low-fat, healthful options into the mix.”
Ickes shared ways to cut the calories on some game-day snacks without taking away from the flavor, saying a few simple swaps can reduce calories and saturated fats.
Lowering fat content
“Using chickpeas instead of chicken in your buffalo dip, you can lower the fat content and still give you a hearty dish," she said.
"For your dips, if you're using low-fat mayonnaise instead of full-fat mayonnaise or you can use cottage cheese or a low-fat cream cheese in a lot of your dips you can still get a lot of the flavor without a lot of the calories.”
She said classic dishes such as buffalo chicken dip or chili can be made with vegetables instead of the usual chicken, beef or pork to cut back on fat intake.
“Taking meat out of your diet one day a week is a great way to reduce your intake of saturated fat," Ickes said. "Certain cuts of beef and pork can be very high in fat.
"All the fat that's in meat is saturated fat, which is the type that clogs arteries. When you're doing a vegan diet, you have the opportunity to eat more beans, which are very cleansing for the body. They actually help lower LDL cholesterol."
“Every ounce of soda is about a teaspoon of sugar, so a 12 ounce soda, that's 12 teaspoons of sugar.”Suzanne Ickes, clinical dietitian, Sodexo
She suggested putting out vegetables, such as carrots, celery or even air-fried artichokes, for the dips and swapping out potato chips for pretzels — which can be fat-free.
“You'd be surprised at how many people will start munching on vegetables,” she said.
She said drinking sparkling seltzer instead of soda can be a big way to lower sugar intake.
“Every ounce of soda is about a teaspoon of sugar, so a 12-ounce soda, that's 12 teaspoons of sugar.”
Healthy snack recipes
With help from her colleagues at LVHN, Ickes compiled a few recipes to try this Sunday for those looking to eat a bit healthier this Super Bowl Sunday.
Healthy Super Bowl Sunday snack recipes:
Sweet potato nachos
Vegetarian buffalo Chickpea dip (contains cheese)
Blackened Shrimp Avocado cucumber bites
Three other dietitians contributed to the list of recipes: Lori Ahdieh, Jessica Smith, and Moriah Wiedemeier.
