Super Bowl Party foods that save calories, taste great

 When you’re planning your Super Bowl Bash, there are a few adjustments you can make to ensure your party is fun and healthy.

Registered Dietician at MUSC, Maggie McDaris,  says when you’re deciding where to place your food, keep it in the kitchen. You will want your guests to move around instead of eating mindlessly in front of your television.

If you’re going to someone else’s party, take your own food. Don’t be ashamed to be healthy, and if you can, taken enough for everyone to try your healthy snacks.

As for what to drink, McDaris says alcohol contains more calories per gram than carbohydrates or protein. Your body processes alcohol first, leaving carbohydrates and fats to get stored as fat instead of getting used as fuel.

If you’re liquor drinking, don’t get carried away. You can also use flavored sparkling water and mix with vodka to save calories.

Health experts say some of the top light beers are:

Sam Adams light
Yuengling light lager
Amstel light
Miller high life
Miller light/Coors light/Bud light
(light, then draft, then lager, then ale)

Instead of traditional food, make your own. McDaris says that will save on calories, fat, and salt that are typical of processed foods. Anywhere you need sour cream, opt for Greek yogurt. It tastes just as good but with fewer calories.  You can also buy flavored Greek yogurt for fruit dips. Substitute chips with Kale chips and use roasted chickpeas as a snack.

Super Bowl Recipes from MUSC:

Baked kale-chips: 
1 tbsp Olive oil (preferably in spray-form) 
1 tsp salt 
10-12 kale leaves

Preheat oven to 275degrees 
Remove kale leaves from stalks and slice into smaller pieces (approx. 2 x 2’’) 
Spray olive oil onto Kale leaves, gently coating both sides 
Place kale leaves in single layer on baking sheet and sprinkle with salt 
Bake for 30 minutes until crisp

Roasted chickpeas

1 can chick peas 
1 Tbsp olive oil 
Seasoning of choice (curry, cayenne pepper, garlic salt) 
Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. 
Drain chickpeas and blot dry (completely) with paper towel. 
In a bowl, toss chickpeas with olive oil and seasonings. Spread on a baking sheet in a single layer, and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until browned and crunchy. Shake or turn peas half-way through baking to avoid burning. (Optional: add more dry seasoning once chickpeas are roasted)

Nutella-yogurt fruit dip 
1 ½ cup low-fat Greek yogurt, vanilla flavor 
1/3 cup Nutella hazelnut spread

Mix two ingredients until combined. Serve with sliced fruit.

Cinnamon-yogurt fruit dip 
1 ½ cup low-fat Greek yogurt, vanilla flavor 
2Tbsp apple sauce 
1 tsp cinnamon 
Lemon juice from ½ lemon

Mix all the ingredients until combined. Serve with sliced fruit.