Super Bowl Snacks You Wouldn’t Believe are Healthy

SupermarketGuru has some suggestions for healthy alternatives to our game day favorites.

Super Bowl LI is almost here! We all know that Super Bowl parties are fun even if you're not a football fan: the commercials, half time show, getting together with friends and the food! It is truly one day when everyone, no matter what age, can hang together - and enjoy the show.

It’s estimated that on average Super Bowl Sunday, Americans will consume more than double their average daily snack amount; and the average “armchair quarterback” will consume nearly 1,200 calories and 50 grams of fat from snacks alone - not counting meals. To burn that off, you’d have to run for about one hour and 45 minutes! 

It’s clear that Super Bowl has become as much a food event as it is a sporting event; in fact Super Bowl Sunday is the second biggest food consumption day of the year - after Thanksgiving of course! Help your shoppers with these great tips on how to have a great time while saving money and of course snacking healthy. Suggest shoppers try and make most snacks at home from scratch. This may take a little more time and effort, but is sure to not only save money, but consumers benefit from knowing what ingredients have gone into each item and will save  hundreds of calories. 

Here are SupermarketGuru’s suggestions for healthy alternatives to game day favorites.

Instead of pigs in a blanket, try chicken or turkey sausage cut into two inch pieces, in a whole wheat bun cut into 1 inch pieces- a healthy and yet still delicious version of the indulgent favorite.

Love nachos? Try either using baked chips with guacamole, tomatoes and jalapenos or even use whole wheat pita cut into triangles and warmed in the oven served with hummus. Offer some raw veggies like cucumber, celery, carrots, broccoli and baby tomatoes for dipping as well. To bake your own corn chips, take corn tortillas, cut them into quarters, sprinkle a little salt light drizzle of olive oil and bake until crisp!

Chili usually contains beef, but try using turkey or bison (which is leaner) with black beans, corn and salsa. Or even go for all bean chili, no meat necessary! Love sour cream on top? Opt for a lower fat variety or even try a dollop of plain or Greek yogurt.

Buffalo wings do have a delicious zing, but try baking chicken wings instead of frying, with hot sauce dip or even half ranch, half yogurt dip.

Whatever you choose, enjoy the big game!