Rah, rah, sis boom bah — yay! It's football time! The weather brings brisk fall mornings and evenings into play. And what goes on the table — or more apropos, on your tailgate, is stick-to-your-ribs deliciousness.
But wait — you don't have to get a penalty on your diet. Follow five tips to be a healthier fan from eDiets.com and you'll score a touchdown with your family — and your health.
1. Get choosy. Always choose baked chips over fried, and substitute sour-cream-based dips with bean varieties.
Just going to eat a handful of chips and sour cream dip? That's gonna cost you 290 calories, 20 grams of fat and 590 milligrams of sodium. Instead, grab some unsalted tortilla chips with bean dip for a mere 46 calories for the dip, 140 for the unsalted chips, and only 6 grams of fat. And if you buy low sodium chips and dips you'll get healthier snacks with only 200 milligrams of sodium, 14 grams of fat, and 390 mg of sodium.
2. Dip in. Make your own dips. Use a dried dip mix you can usually find in the salad dressing aisle of your grocery store. Instead of using regular sour cream, add › cup of nonfat sour cream, › cup of nonfat mayonnaise, and · cup of diced fresh tomatoes, € cup of chopped green onion, and € cup of chopped ripe olives, rinsed and drained.
3. Get popping. Pop up some air-popped popcorn instead of nuts. Just two ounces — a handful — of mixed nuts is 340 calories, 28 grams of fat and 200 milligrams of sodium. Air popped popcorn sprayed with butter-flavored cooking spray and sprinkled with Butter Buds or Molly McButter is 60 calories for three cups, a trace of fat and about 10 grams of sodium. That's 280 calories, 28 grams of fat and 330 milligrams of sodium less than the regular microwave popcorn.
4. Make a switch. Switch mozzarella sticks with chicken on skewers, and go with healthy heros. Chicken on skewers makes perfect finger food, with only 52 calories, 4 grams of fat and 24 milligrams of sodium.
Want something heartier? Serve healthy heros. Get whole wheat rolls, turkey breast, lean roast beef or lean ham. Dress with shredded lettuce, tomato slices cut into two-inch portions, sliced onions and pickles. Keep the calories low with low-fat mayonnaise, ketchup and mustard.
5. Tastes great — less filling. Offer an assortment of light beers, diet sodas or unsweetened juice. One regular beer ranges between 150 and 200 calories — a light beer has 100 calories. A 5-ounce glass of wine or one ounce of vodka, gin or scotch has about 100 calories. Have a variety of diet sodas, flavored club sodas and plenty of water on hand. And don't substitute sweetened juice for regular soda — an 8-ounce glass of unsweetened juice has about 120 calories.
Fast Five bonus: A recipe to help you eat healthy on Game Day.
Black Bean DipMakes 1 serving
1/2 cup small red onion
1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup teaspoon canola oil
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup tablespoon fresh cilantro
Peel and finely dice red onion; rinse and chop cilantro; set aside. In a food processor or blender, purée beans. Add lemon juice and oil. Pour in broth, a little at a time, to blend until desired consistency is achieved. Transfer to a small bowl. Stir in red onion and cilantro to thoroughly combine. Serve.
Serve it with fresh veggies (baby carrots, summer squash, broccoli, tomatoes) or baked tortilla chips.
Nutritional information per serving: 156 calories, 7 grams protein, 26 grams carb, 6 grams of fiber, 0 cholesterol
Source: ediets.com
Jeanne Huff: 377-6483
