These Swaps To Popular Party Foods Are Sure To Score A Touchdown At Your Party
The second-largest food consumption day in America isn’t Christmas, the 4th of July, or Easter.
It’s Super Bowl Sunday.
But the odds are, you will have someone at your football party who has diabetes, food allergies, or is vegan.
Trying to keep them all satisfied can make your head spin!
But you can create a tasty spread that is not only healthier–it is more likely to satisfy everyone at your party.
The Pickled Beet’s Super Bowl party food ideas will help you create a true crowd-pleaser spread – no matter which team wins the game.
Pizza
Pizza and the Super Bowl are practically synonymous. An estimated 12.4 million Americans order pizza each Super Bowl Sunday. And the Super Bowl pizza deals, contests, and advertising campaigns are up to the challenge. Take DiGiorno’s Pi 3-14 giveaway, in which any number resembling the infinite number wins you a free pizza.
Going for pizza this February? Make it a bit healthier by following these tips:
Tips for Healthier Pizza
- Eat your veggies! Pizza is the perfect opportunity to load up on all those heart-healthy veggies like mushrooms, tomatoes, spinach, artichokes, and yes, even garlic.
- Go with the thin crust option. It helps cut down on calories. Even better, opt for a gluten-free crust. Any guests that have a gluten allergy will thank you!
- While you’re at it, opting for a vegan cheese is not only healthier but will open your pizza up to a whole other audience of vegetarians.
- If you opt for meat on your pizza, choose a lean protein like chicken instead of cured meats like pepperoni.
Chicken Wings
Approximately 1.33 billion chicken wings will be consumed this year, which is no surprise, considering they are the perfect finger foods. The good news is, done right, hot wings and buffalo chicken wings can be a healthier party food choice. According to EU Poultry, chicken wings can help ease arthritis, diabetes, gout, and can even improve immunity and skin health.
But if you douse them in grease and fatty dressings, those purported health benefits can vanish in an instant. So it is worth putting a bit of thought into the way you serve them. Remove the fatty skin before cooking. And choose to air fry, bake, or grill your chicken wings instead of opting for fried versions from popular chains.
Check out this baked chicken wings recipe from All The Healthy Things if you need more inspiration. It is Whole30, paleo, and gluten-free. Need blue cheese dip to go with it? Try out this healthier blue cheese dip recipe!
For those who prefer a keto version, check out our very own Keto Fried Chicken With Avocado Dipping Sauce.
Nachos and Cheese
It is no surprise that with the Super Bowl come the bags of salty chips of all varieties (along with ladles of gooey cheese sauce). Some tables can look like the snack food aisle of a grocery store.
And you don’t need us to tell you the bad news about these snack foods. Most are loaded with salt, preservatives, and extra calories. Yuck.
But the good news is, there is such a thing as food beyond chips. And if you want to have something to snack on that is healthier, you don’t have to get rid of the dip. Impress your friends with a veggie and dip platter that makes them never miss their chips and dip.
(Ok, ok. Still want to satisfy the chip lovers? Try a quality brand of pita chips instead.)
We recommend creating a variety of dips to get creative with varying palates. By creating a spread of different dips, you will satisfy everyone with naturally gluten-free, sugar-free, and/or vegan snacks!
Of course, guacamole (chock full of all the health benefits avocado offers) and salsa are both great Super Bowl food ideas, and they are two true crowd-pleasers. Here are a few of our other favorite recipes.
Vegan Nacho Cheese Dip from Karissa’s Vegan Kitchen
Quick and Easy Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip from Well Plated
Healthy French Onion Dip from LiveEatLearn
Healthier Beer
It is no surprise that beer doesn’t belong on any healthy foods menu. But a Super Bowl party without beer might just be… well… not a Super Bowl party.
The key here is to choose healthier beer options and plenty of them. And you probably know what we are about to say…
Healthier beer is lighter beer.
Lighter beer tends to taste like water.
We get it, and at The Pickled Beet, we want you to enjoy your food WHILE eating healthier. And this is a very important and real thing.
There are plenty of go-to lists for healthier beers that aren’t just your standard light lagers. This list of healthier beers from Men’s Journal highlights Guinness and Rolling Rock, among others. And not a single “light” beer is on the list. Looking for gluten-free beers? Yes, it exists. Check out this gluten-free beer guide from Bon Appetit.
Once you find “the one” you can even make it to craft some healthier beer cheese dip.
Don’t Forget Dessert
After all those savory foods, your guests will probably be clamoring for something sweet. But resist the temptation to stock up on sugary cookies and other sweets.
The best dessert you can offer that will satisfy any sweet tooth is a tasteful fruit bowl. Not only will your veggie lovers adore it, but your gluten-free eaters won’t have to ask you what exactly is inside that pie crust or cookie dough.
Feel like fruit is too dull? Well, it doesn’t have to be. Miami is considered a “tropical monsoon climate” and has a host of unique fruits that you can incorporate into your fruit spread. Not only will they be delicious to the tongue – they will be delicious to the eyes as well!
Instead of your typical grapes, blueberries, and kiwi (although we love those as well!), why not try incorporating something new that is in season? The Super Bowl is as good an excuse to try something new as any.
Have you ever experienced the caramelly sweetness of sapodilla? How about the canistel, which might just be summer’s answer to pumpkin? Or how about the mamey – imagine if a sweet potato and an apricot had a love child?
Super Bowl Food Ideas They’ll Remember After The Game Is Over
Serve a rainbow of healthy, flavorful choices at your Super Bowl party. Your guests are sure to remember new tastes they experienced as much as who made the final touchdown in the football game.
Your party will be a winner – regardless of who dominates game day.
Enjoy food that is both imaginative and healthy with The Pickled Beet’s personal chef services. We can make all the substitutions mentioned in this blog, and so many more! Complete this food questionnaire to set up your free consultation and get started!
Disclaimer: We are not medical professionals and the information we have provided is solely for educational purposes and is not intended to be medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Consult a healthcare professional to address any concerns or questions you may have regarding your diet or overall health. The Pickled Beet is not liable for any risks or issues associated with acting upon the information we have provided.
