By the time the final whistle blows to end Sunday’s big game, two things will be certain: Either Green Bay or Pittsburgh will be champions of Super Bowl XLV, and more of us will be champions of Size XXL. In fact, as a nation we’ll down a collective 156 billion calories during the game, mostly from the terrible trifecta of pizza, wings, and beer—the gluttonous gargoyles of the gridiron.
But what if there was a way to indulge in terrific football food—rich, meaty, spicy stuff—and not gain weight? The Eat This, Not That! team uncovered the super-simple swaps below; make them and you'll cut around 1,500 calories of mindless game day snacking. You won't notice the sacrifice. You will, however, notice the extra spring in your postgame step.
Bonus Tip: Super Bowl Sunday is about the beer, too. Here's your guide to the Best and Worst Beers for gameday and beyond!
Worst Pregame Snack
6 Chicken Wings
592 calories
40 g fat (11 g saturated)
167 mg sodium
0 g carbohydrates
Going to a Super Bowl bash famished is like going to the supermarket on an empty stomach: It's a recipe for diet disaster. Your game day options will most likely include seemingly innocent chicken wings—which, in reality, contain more than a quarter of your daily recommended calories. And that’s before you dunk them in blue cheese! The better option: Eat a bowl of chili at kickoff—you'll save yourself 300 calories. Plus, it's the snack that pays you back. The protein and the fiber will fill your belly and prevent the mindless munching that football (and high-budget commercials) encourage.
Eat This Instead!
Bowl of Chili
287 calories
14 g fat (6 g saturated)
1,336 mg sodium
30 g carbohydrates
Bonus Tip: Make sure this is the last time you’re surprised by how unhealthy chicken can be—don’t miss our slideshow of the Worst Chicken Dishes in America.
Worst Veggie Snack
Spinach Artichoke Dip (1/4 cup dip and 8 chips)
325 calories
19 g fat (9 g saturated)
625 mg sodium
Spinach ... good. Artichokes ... good. But most of what’s in that bowl is processed cream-based gunk, the kind that can make your arteries harder to work through than the Steelers’ linebackers. Remember, just because a snack contains vegetables doesn’t make it healthy. Swap it out for tomato bruschetta to cut more than 100 calories and nearly 80 percent of the fat.
Eat This Instead!
Tomato Bruschetta (2 pieces)
200 calories
4 g fat (1 g saturated)
230 mg sodium
Bonus Tip: Staying thin would be easy if the Super Bowl were the only day of the year filled with hidden gut-bomb foods—but unfortunately, it isn’t. Check out our slideshow of the 20 Worst Foods in America for meals to skip on every occasion.
Worst Cheesy Snack
Nachos (40 chips and 4 oz cheese)
1,101 calories
59 g fat (18 g saturated)
1,580 mg sodium
When it comes to fitness, there are two types of people: The Haves, and the Have Nachos. These little chips are nothing more than a delivery system for saturated fat, and offer nothing by way of redeeming nutrients. For your cheesy fix, take a dip in good old Goldfish, a healthy-snack standby for good reason: You can eat a whole school of them before getting anywhere close to the calories in nachos.
Eat This Instead!
Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Cheddar Crackers (55 pieces)
140 calories
5 g fat (1 g saturated)
250 mg sodium
Worst Chip Dip
Lay's Smooth Ranch Dip (2 Tbsp)
60 calories
5 g fat
210 mg sodium
Think laying a hand on Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers is tricky? Try walking into the supermarket and laying your hands on a healthy dip. Every time you take a dip at this ranch, you're scooping up a few grams of fat. Go with Ortega's Thick & Chunky salsa instead. Just as big-screen TVs were made for football, chips were made for munching in large numbers. With no fat and only a sixth of the calories, this salsa is delicious, filling, and guilt-free.
Eat This Instead!
Ortega Thick & Chunky Salsa (2 Tbsp)
10 calories
0 g fat
170 mg sodium
Bonus Tip: Chips and dips can be as dangerous as a helmet-to-helmet tackle: Know what to avoid with our slideshow of the Worst Chips and Dips.
Worst Popcorn
Smart Food White Cheddar Popcorn (1¾ cups)
160 calories
10 g fat (2 g saturated)
290 mg sodium
Smart food? I don't think so. This popcorn is coated in powdered cheese and covered with salt. The smart food choice here is to go with hot and freshly popped microwave popcorn, like the one from America's Best.
Eat This Instead!
American's Best Microwave Butter Popcorn (2 cups popped)
40 calories
0 g fat
80 mg sodium
Worst Potato Chips
Ruffles Cheddar & Sour Cream (about 11 chips)
160 calories
11 g fat (1.5 g saturated)
230 mg sodium
More than one handful of this fattening finger food will really chip away at your diet. Swap for Baked Lays Original for 40 fewer calories and 90 percent less fat. You’ll even get to enjoy more chips per serving.
Eat This Instead!
Baked Lay's Original (~15 chips)
120 calories
2 g fat (0 g saturated)
180 mg sodium
Finally, remember: I'm on a mission to uncover surprising places where hidden calories lurk. Get instant weight-loss, health, and fitness secrets every day by following me right here on Twitter or by signing up for the FREE Eat This, Not That! newsletter.
------------
LOSE 15 POUNDS OF BELLY FAT FAST! Check out the brand new Men's Health Diet or the Women's Health Diet! You'll lose weight and get healthy faster than ever--thanks to a plan that draws on the easiest and most effective research ever published!
MEET YOUR 24/7 VIRTUAL PERSONAL TRAINER!
EAT RIGHT RULE: If your food can go bad, it's good for you. If it can't go bad, it's bad for you. FOLLOW DAVE ZINCZENKO RIGHT HERE ON TWITTER and get FREE health, nutrition and weight-loss secrets like this one every day! You'll lose weight and get healthy faster than ever!
Check out these cutting-edge guides to fast and easy weight loss, the brand-new Men’s Health Big Book of Exercises and Women’s Health Big Book of Exercises.
Get more nutrition, health, and fitness secrets from Men's Health: Subscribe today with this special offer and save 50% off the cover price.
No comments:
Post a Comment