Host a Healthy Superbowl Party

Superbowl Sunday is one of my favorite days of the year. One of the top reasons I love this day so much, aside from being able to watch Peyton Manning play this year :) , is because of all the yummy food you get to eat! However, we all know how notoriously unhealthy game day food can be.
In an attempt to not deny any of us these delicious indulgences, below are a few recipe makeovers to help lighten up the day. Shaving off 20 calories here or there can really add up!

Nachos: Lighten up nachos by cutting out the fatty ground meat, excessive cheese, and calorie-dense sour cream. Instead top with reduced-fat shredded cheddar (I like Weight Watchers brand) to add a calcium boost. Black beans which contains super high fiber content to lower cholesterol and prevent blood sugar levels from spiking. And last throw on some fresh Pico de Gallo- the tomatos in here offer a good deal of Vitamin C to give your immune system a boost!

Pico de Gallo
* 6 medium Tomatoes diced
* 1 medium Onion diced
* 1/4 cup fresh Cilantro chopped.
* 2 to 4 Fresh serrano or jalapeño seeded and minced
* garlic powder just a pinch * Salt to taste

Put all ingredients in a bowl add 1/2 cup of cold water, mix well. Let set a few minutes.

Chips & Dip: Greesy potato chips and dairy/cheese based dips will leave you feeling super-gross on Monday morning.. Completely not worth it!! Swap out the greesy chips for some homemade whole grain pita chips. Cut pita bread into triangles, drizzle EVOO over sprinkle some course sea salt and toss into the oven at 400 F until they're crisp. Doing this will cut calories & fat while adding fiber!
As for the dip, why would you eat a creamy dip drenched in calories and fat when you have the option to pair those killer pita chips with yummy hummus! I love all Trader Joe's brands. Chick Peas make up the foundation of this great dip and pack in even more fiber to keep you regular as well as a decent amount of iron which helps blood cells transport oxygen from the lungs to the tissue cells which need this to function!

Sweet Tooth: For anyone with a sweet tooth, swap out heavy cakes for some dark chocolate covered strawberries! This way you can satisfy any sweet or chocolate craving while packing in some great antioxidants from both the Strawberries & Dark Chocolate! I mean really, have you every met anyone who DIDN'T like chocolate covered strawberries?

So there you have it! Everything you need to lighten up your game time noshing. Enjoy & go Colts!!

Let's Talk Strawberries

I know what you're thinking, strawberries are really not in season. But let's face it, when you're entertaining, after serving a heavy meal a la Eggplant Lasagna, you really want to offer your guests a light dessert option (And they will thank you for that!). The below recipe... not even a recipe, more like an entertaining trick... is great for out of season strawberries that tend to be tart.

Strawberries are a great source of Manganese, Fiber, Iodine, Potassium, B Vitamins, and Vitamin K. Most notably though, 1 cup of strawberries provides over 100% of your RDA of Vitamin C . I've talked a bit about Vitamin C this winter, but don't worry there's a reason for that. Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin. Unlike fat soluble vitamins (Vitamins A, D, E, & K) which are stored in fat in the body until they are needed, water soluble vitamins travel through the blood stream, and then whatever isn't used is urinated out. So we need to keep replenishing. Instead of eating orange after orange, spice it up with some berries :)
Vitamin C is important for a few other reasons as well. It's vital to the production of collagen, which is found virtually everywhere in the body. I mean really, it's found in connective tissue, cartilage, and within various types of cells. It also is important for eye health and bone health.

Strawberries & Triple Sec

4 c. strawberries quartered (Adjust size as needed depending on how many people are eating)
1/8 c triple sec

I have my mom to thank for this one. She showed me this trick and it's so useful when hosting. There are never any berries left! Put strawberries in a big bowl, pour triple sec over. Use your (clean) fingers to toss to coat the berries. Cover with saran wrap and place in fridge for 1-2 hours. Bring out right at dessert time for a fun treat! It's so simple you can focus on your guests instead of food




http://nutrition.about.com/od/healthyfood1/a/berries.htm
http://kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/food/vitamin.html