It has to taste good, right? No one wants to be watching a football game eating something that tastes like old cardboard with high fiber cereal mixed in for a little crunch. Blergh!
But feeling like you are going to barf about an hour into the game from eating all that grease and fat is no fun either. And that is exactly how I start to feel when I eat unhealthy crapola while waiting for the next round of commercials.
So this year, I'm really trying hard to not make that mistake.
I've put together some ideas on what we'll be eating, as well as found some links to other foods that folks might enjoy that turn out to be both healthy and yummy. Thought everyone might enjoy the perusal.
Nothing is set in stone just yet -- it's still definitely a work in progress. But because a lot of this can be made from staples already in my pantry and fridge, I can make it happen on the fly this weekend as my taste buds dictate. Here's what I'm thinking:
I'm seriously considering a crockpot of some sort of chili -- lots of beans and ground turkey to keep it lean, but with enough of a kick that our taste buds will be grateful. I may make a companion pot of queso dip, which isn't exactly lean but is pretty awesome over nachos. I'm debating whether that's a good idea or whether it will make me really sorry later if I do. That one I'll decide at some point this weekend -- but if I don't make it, we'll at least have some grated reduced-fat cheddar and jack cheeses to sprinkle over tortilla chips to make nachos with the chili.
Or maybe we'll have a chili bar: big crockpot full of chili, some sliced green onions, diced regular onion, jalapenos, tortilla chips, cheese, and such. Then everyone can have what they want.
I want some veggies and/or fruit out to snack on so I have healthy munchie options. So I'll probably do a crudite tray with some healthy ranch dip or some hummus -- at least then any mindless eating can be filled with crunchy, fibery goodness, right?
Honestly, it will most likely end up being a tray of veggies with a dip AND a tray of fruit so I have healthy food at the ready for the evening. That seems like a winner of an idea to me -- if I have healthy options for grazing, I almost always choose them first -- the key is to have them out and ready to eat, right?
I've also been asked to make some hot wings. That one is a little more tricky for me because every oven-baked, healthy wing recipe I've ever tried has not turned out like I've hoped in terms of taste. So I'm thinking about getting or making some turkey meatballs, and then cooking them in a crockpot with some wing sauce. They would be easy to munch on and already in bite-sized morsels, and would stay moist in the sauce and not dry out, but you'd still get that hot wing taste kick. At least, in theory -- that might be worth playing around with to see how it goes, but you hate to test drive a recipe on game day.
So I'm still debating that one.
The alternative is to make some crockpot sticky chicken with legs and thighs, skin off but bone still in, so they are easier to eat. That is some seriously tasty chicken...but it isn't a hot wing, so I'm not certain how much it would satisfy the hungry man contingent at our house.
Another really tasty option might be slow cooker pork carnitas -- we could have a taco bar with corn tortillas, shredded lettuce, chopped tomato and onion, salsa, shredded cheese and sliced avocado or some guacamole. Yummmmm.
Here are some more recipe ideas from past posts that are really yummy yet still pretty healthy:
-- Healthier Superbowl recipe ideas from last year, including some make-ahead muffalettas and a number of tasty dip recipes.
-- Red Beans and Rice, along with several other amazing recipes from New Orleans.
-- A whole host of tailgating and potluck recipes that are sure to tickle someone's taste buds. Including the vegetarians in your life, because there are a number of veg recipes in the mix here.
(Photo via dawnnakaya.)
No comments:
Post a Comment