Lifestyle / Healthy Super Bowl Snacks

Healthy Super Bowl Snacks

Lifestyle Jan 29, 2015

by Pooja Rao

Super Bowl Munchies — The Healthy Way!

It’s that time of the year, folks, when you’re tempted to throw up your hands and grab a slice of pizza, a plate of buffalo wings or handful after handful of chips. What am I talking about? The Super Bowl, of course!

If you're watching your weight, you'll have a choice to make on Super Bowl Sunday: splurge on calorie-heavy foods or opt for a healthier spread. While it's fine to indulge in moderation, you can still stick to your healthy eating plan. Game day doesn’t have to mean "game over" for your gut. There are plenty of delicious yet healthy ways to fill out your party trays while you watch the NFL season wind down.

These healthier nibbles are sure to impress your Super Bowl party guests — and help you avoid Monday morning regrets. Most importantly, these are my “Desi-infused” variations. Enjoy!

DESI GUAC AND CHIPS

photo/popsugar.com

Guacamole is more than a great dip. Avocados are nutritional superstars with nearly 20 different vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. What’s more, eating avocados in place of foods rich in saturated fat is a great way to get more of the beneficial unsaturated fats in your diet. Studies have shown that avocados also help keep you satisfied, and those who enjoy avocados have smaller waistlines. Bonus!

For your upcoming Super Bowl party, swap out store-bought dips — which are rich in fats and cholesterol — and instead make this all-star guacamole, Desi style!

Ingredients:

2 ripe medium avocados peeled, pitted and diced
1 large ripe tomato, diced small
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1–2 cloves garlic, minced
3–4 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (reserve some for garnish)
1 green chili, deseeded and chopped finely (for garnish)
2 limes, juiced (juice only)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp chaat masala
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Mash the avocado to the desired consistency (chunky or smooth).
2. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients until well combined. Garnish with reserved cilantro and green chili.
3. Serve immediately with multigrain tortilla chips and enjoy!

SWEET MASALA CHICKEN WINGS

photo/foodnetwork.com

Chicken wings are a must at every Super Bowl party. Chicken wings are to the Super Bowl as songs are to a Bollywood flick; one can’t exist without the other! Chicken wings are generally deep-fried, which means they pack a lot of unhealthy fats and do a number on your waistline. Ditch the deep-frying procedure in favour of a healthier baked option and cut the calories and fat in half! These babies are a breeze to prepare and will most definitely fly off the plate!

Ingredients:

Wings
3lbs chicken wings
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
olive oil

Sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger, minced
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce (low sodium)
1/4 cup vinegar
1 tsp red chili powder
3/4 tsp garam masala
3 green onions, sliced for garnish

Method:

Wings:
1. Mix baking powder and flour in a large bowl and set aside.
2. Add all wings and coat with the flour mixture. Shake off excess flour and lay them in a single layer on a baking rack, skin side up, over a large roasting tray.
3. Put wings in fridge for about 2 hours to dry out. (This step is very important!)
4. Pre-heat the oven to 450ªF.
5. Drizzle wings with olive oil and bake for 35–40 minuted, until deeply golden and crispy.
6. Remove from oven and flip wings over, drizzle with a little olive oil on second side and continue baking until second side is golden and crispy.
7. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Sauce
1. Heat olive oil in a pan on medium-high heat.
2. Add minced garlic and mined ginger and sauté for a few seconds.
3. Add soy sauce, vinegar and honey and stir well until combined.
4. Add red chili powder and garam masala and stir. When the mixture starts to slowly bubble, lower the heat and simmer until the sauce has thickened and is syrupy in consistency, about 15 minutes.
5. Once sauce has thickened to desired consistency, remove from heat and place in a bowl.
6. Add cooked wings to bowl of sauce and toss until every wing is completely coated with sauce.
7. Garnish with green onions.

BONUS! Serve these wings with this easy side dip.
Combine 1 cup fat-free sour cream or plain Greek yogurt with 2 tablespoons of freshly chopped cilantro and mint. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve with the sweet masala wings!

Yum!

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Pooja Rao

Author

A self-taught home-cook with a passion for what cooking really stands for…Pooja believes that food really feeds the soul not just the stomach. Realtor by profession but a foodie at heart, Pooja’s love for food earned her a spot as one of the Top100 on MasterChef Canada. Follow h...

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Healthy Super Bowl Snacks

by Pooja Rao

Super Bowl Munchies — The Healthy Way!

Pooja Rao

COMMENTS

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