Clark County Cooperative Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences Jennifer Howard suggests replacing high-fat, sodium-rich Super Bowl foods with recipes such as her Game Day Sloppy Joes or Veggie Pizza. (James Mann/jmann@winchestersun.com) |
According to Clark County Cooperative Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences Jennifer Howard, Americans consume more calories on Super Bowl Sunday than any other day of the year. There’s no doubt that having great food to enjoy with friends while watching the big game is part of many people’s Super Bowl traditions.
However, according to Howard, it’s possible to enjoy tasty snacks without sacrificing nutrition. Some low-calorie alternatives can keep sports fans full without over-indulging.
For starters, Howard advises cooks to look over a recipe and see which ingredients are the highest in fat, cholesterol and sodium. Once these ingredients are identified, they can be replaced with low-fat and low-sodium substitutions. According to Howard, these high-fat ingredients can even be eliminated altogether in some recipes.
Changing the method of cooking is another way to save calories, like grilling instead of deep frying.
Of course, fresh fruits and vegetables are always the best way to snack nutritiously.
Game Day Sloppy Joes
1 lb ground chuck or ground turkey
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons quick cooking oats
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/8 tsp black pepper
Dash hot sauce
1 package hamburger buns
— Cook ground chuck, onion, and celery until meat is browned and onion is tender. Drain off excess fat.
— Stir in tomato sauce, oats, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, pepper and hot sauce.
— Simmer, uncovered, on a low temperature for 30 minutes. Stir often.
— Spoon about 1/3 cup meat mixture onto each bun.
Nutrition Facts per serving: 189 calories; 4 g total fat; 1 g saturated fat; 0 g trans fat; 25 mg cholesterol; 549 mg sodium; 25 g carbohydrates; 2 g fiber; 12 g protein.
Another great winning recipe, veggie pizza. This recipe comes from the University of Nebraska Extension Agency. They’ve substituted low-fat cream cheese for regular and used a low-fat plain yogurt instead of mayonnaise or sour cream.
Veggie Pizza
1/2 cup plain, low-fat yogurt
8 ounces low-fat cream cheese
2 tablespoons ranch dressing mix
Whole grain crackers
Chopped or grated vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, tomatoes and cucumbers
— Blend softened cream cheese with yogurt and dry dressing until smooth. Refrigerate.
— Wash and prepare vegetables.
— Spread cream cheese mixture on crackers. Top with vegetables.
For more recipes or substitutions, contact the Clark County Extension Office at 744-4682.
