While you watch the NFL playoffs, you don’t have to eat junk food.
What is your favorite season in the San Francisco Bay Area? Winter is just cold enough to warrant wearing your cozy scarf and gloves, but not so cold that you’ll ever wake to find yourself snowed in. Should you want to partake in winter sports, you are just a short drive from the snow. Spring brings signs of new life as our flora and fauna abound.
In Alameda, if traffic is inexplicably stopped, look low to the ground for the explanation and you may see a mother duck with her babies waddling across the road. Summer can get hot, but it is usually manageable. Hot is not guaranteed, however, as in the quote attributed to Mark Twain, “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.” Autumn and the crisp air bring changing foliage and food delights as harvests influence menus. Fleet Week livens up the shores and the skies above the Bay Area.
And then… there is football season.
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Watching the playoffs, we are constantly reminded that the culmination of the football season is the Super Bowl. I am a sports fan and am loyal to my teams, win or lose. When my various sports teams are not playing, I still have the games on, not so much to watch, but to snack. Follow me and know I have an obsession with food. Here’s the thing—I want to enjoy it and still feel good after.
It is almost impossible to watch an entire game and not snack. As a Nutrition Coach, I encourage snacking, not just during the game, but as part of your daily routine. Your midday morsel will help benefit your metabolism and help you stay focused on tasks at hand by not allowing hunger to be a distraction. So, when it comes to the Super Bowl, let’s put together a game plan for snacking to help you and your team come out winners!
First, you must plan for a table full of healthy snacks. I’m a realist and know that there will be some salt-laden, make-your-fingers-greasy munchies sprinkled in there, but you should keep them to a minimum.
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Here are some ideas for healthy snacking success:
- If chips are a must, opt for tortilla chips with fresh salsa and guacamole. Making your own salsa and guac is easier than you might think. Pico de gallo just requires tomatoes, onion, garlic, lime, cilantro, and jalapeño. Once you’ve made your tomato goodness, your guac is going to be a breeze. Just add ¼ cup of your fresh pico de gallo to two avocados for fresh guacamole in minutes.
- Flavored popcorn you make on the stovetop is delicious and the possibilities are limited only by your imagination. As soon as the kernels are popped, sprinkle with spices, cover and shake to distribute flavor.
- Roasted chickpeas are the newest rage. This savory treat is simple to make and delicious. You can keep it straightforward with salt and pepper or amp it up with whatever spices tickle your fancy.
- Pinwheel sandwiches are a healthy option if you limit the fats and processed meats and add plenty of lettuce. Why not just do lettuce wraps? Lettuce wraps are a heathy snack, but they are different. Lettuce will not hold up to the challenges of rolling and holding together, if not consumed right away. So, for pinwheels, opt for whole wheat tortillas and head to the deli and have them slice meats for you.
- Edamame—soybeans in the pod—steamed or blanched are enjoyed warm or cold. If you enjoy them slightly salted, then blanching is the way to go as you only need to salt the water.
- Baked Brussels sprouts chips are so irresistible that you’ll want to be sure to make several trays. If you are making them for the game, you will find yourself munching on them before the main event and even if your self-control prevailed, your guests will practically inhale them.
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If you are thinking that snacking healthy is too much work and takes too much time, you can still snack healthy with these premade options:
- Order sushi rolls to eat with low sodium soy sauce,
- Order a veggie tray and be sure to have hummus on hand for a healthy dipping option,
- Buy a bag of baked potato or plantain chips,
- Order a deli tray and set it out with lettuce leaves for DIY lettuce wraps, and/or
- Buy fresh cut fruit for a sweet treat.
Go Team!
Contributing writer Denise Lum is a Health and Fitness Coach raising her family in Alameda. Contact her via [email protected] [4] or FitnessByDsign.com [5]. Her writing is collected at AlamedaPost.com/Denise-Lum [6].