Seasonal recipes: 5 healthy Super Bowl snacks

Give your guests some healthier food options for the big game.

Mon, Feb 01 2010 at 12:55 PM EST

Photo: Triple Tri/Flickr

Let's be clear. I’m not saying you can't serve five gallons of hot wings at your Super Bowl party this weekend. If there was ever an occasion for five gallons of hot wings, I would think Super Bowl Sunday would be it. Along side of those wings, however, how about offering some subtly healthier options?

For New Year’s Eve, I offered up five healthy appetizer recipes. You could go with some of those, but the food guests expect for a Super Bowl party are often different than what they expect to see on New Year’s Eve. Here are five party foods for your guests to munch on as they are screaming at the TV.

Organic Popcorn – Don’t buy the bagged or the microwavable popcorn. Go with air-popped popcorn or pop it on your stove in a little olive oil. Add a small amount of real butter and some kosher salt or other natural seasonings.

Healthier Nachos – I found this recipe on Healthy Tasty Cheap. Black beans, corn, pepper, onion, and tomatoes top organic chips. A little 2 percent sharp cheddar cheese and reduced-fat sour cream cover all the beans and veggies so your guests won’t say “Look, healthy nachos!”

Vegetarian Chili – Chili in a slow cooker is a staple at many Super Bowl parties. This low-fat vegetarian recipe from Allrecipes.com has been given an average 41/2 out of 5 stars from 355 people — many of them meat eaters. It’s easy to throw together, and if you cook it the day before the game, the flavor will only get better by game time.

Hummus – Food Network has a variety of hummus dip recipes, and you can search for one that suites your tastes. Healthier than dips made of cheeses and sour cream, hummus uses nutrient-packed beans as a base. Serve with veggies or pita chips for dipping.

Twice-baked Sweet Potatoes – Instead of serving traditional deep-fried potato skins, try these twice-baked sweet potatoes from Health.com. They use Canadian bacon instead of the fattier regular bacon and reduced-fat sour cream and cheddar cheese.

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