Your Super Bowl 50 Food Survival Guide

02/05/2016

It’s almost here – the first official “food splurge” day of the year. We’ve all made our New Year’s resolutions to get fit and eat better, and then along comes Super Bowl Sunday. It’s the day when, according to the Calorie Control Council (who knew they existed?), the average American will consume at least 2,400 calories while watching the big game. And the USDA says Super Bowl Sunday is the second-biggest food day for Americans, behind Thanksgiving.

The Snack Food Association says people belly up to this annual food fest by consuming roughly:

• 11.2 million pounds of potato chips
• 8.2 million pounds of tortilla chips
• 3.8 million pounds of popcorn
• 3 million pounds of nuts

If you want to get down to the meat of the matter, it looks a little like this:

• 1.25 billion chicken wings
• 12.5 million pounds of bacon
• 10 million pounds of ribs

This doesn’t even take into account the number of pizzas being ordered or those queso dips and bowls of chili with all the fixings. And let’s not even talk about the beer. Ok, let’s. Americans will drink (collectively) 325.5 million gallons of beer on Super Bowl Sunday.

Whoa.

What’s a gal or guy to do?

Fear not, football fanatics.  Your BFF (Best Food Facts) has your back. Here are some tips to help get you through the game without sacking those New Year’s resolutions.

• Keep it real – Let’s face it. We know eating low-fat everything and dipping celery sticks in hummus while drinking sparkling water isn’t going to happen. Let’s manage those expectations.
• Opt for smaller swap-outs – Try to bake some of those party favorites like wings or other finger foods, or use lean meat like ground turkey in chili.
• Fill ‘er up – There’s bound to be at least one lonely veggie tray at your party. Go mingle with it and load up your plate before you hit the other snacks.
• Hydrate – Yes, you can have a beer. You can even have two if you want. Just make sure to drink some water before, during and after the game. Your head will thank you on Monday.
• Play referee – Thinking about going back for seconds? Check yourself. Before you do, walk around the room and catch up with some people. This will help you decide if you’re truly still hungry and will hopefully prevent that mindless eating.

Game day is all about strategy. Don’t deny yourself the foods you love – just make a few small swaps and enjoy foods (and beverages) in moderation. If you practice this strategy on Super Bowl Sunday and throughout the year, you’ll score a touchdown when it’s time to review those resolutions!

Not sure what to make this weekend? Our Super Bowl recipe huddle features tasty recipes from our blogger friends that you are sure to enjoy.

_{The image “Buffalo Wings” by Krista is licensed under CC BY 2.0.}

• tags:
• super bowl,
• party food,
• food facts