5 Tips for Healthy Super Bowl Snacking

If you're anything like me, it's super hard to resist  Super Bowl snacks. Laden with fat and high in calories, foods like chicken wings, nachos and sliders aren't necessarily the healthiest of fare. Thankfully, there are ways to reduce the amount of calories on your buffet table without guests turning their noses up or even taking notice. Transform fattening appetizers into healthy snacks, and serve fruits and veggies that are in season. Trust me, your guests (and their thighs) will thank you later.

Light and Reduced Fat All the Way – When a recipe calls for high-calorie, high-fat ingredients, consider substituting light or reduced-fat versions. For example, use Neufchatel cheese instead of cream cheese for healthy cheese snacks, margarine instead of butter when baking desserts, and reduced fat sour cream instead of the original version for topping chili and nachos.

Go Lean – While there's a big difference nutrition-wise between lean meat and regular meat, the taste remains the same. Swap out turkey bacon for pork bacon in spreads and dips, organic chicken for steak in nachos, and bison for beef in chili. Or go meatless altogether and bulk up on vegetables, beans and tofu instead.

Bite-Size Wins the Game – When dining out, have you ever noticed the sheer size of most meals? Leave the huge portions to the restaurant world—keep yours in check at this year's Super Bowl party. Make bite-size appetizers to encourage sensible snacking.

Keep It Colorful – Aside from their aesthetic appeal on your Super Bowl buffet table, colorful fruits and vegetables are a much healthier option for snacking. Offer produce that is in season this time of year, such as orange slices and carrots, and provide an array of healthy toppings for sliders, quesadillas and sub sandwiches.

Light Beer (or No Beer at All) – So it's Super Bowl Sunday and I get it: beer and Super Bowl go together like peas and carrots. You can't have one without the other. If you must include alcohol at your party, offer lighter beers and low-calorie cocktails. Of course, ensure every drinker has a designated driver and encourage guests to drink responsibly.

Whether you're serving healthy cheese snacks in place of calorific cheese appetizers, flatbread instead of pizza, or low-carb wraps rather than high-carb hoagies, you can transform a traditional Super Bowl party (or any party for that matter) into a healthy event. Guests will leave feeling satisfied and not stuffed beyond measure—what a concept!