Football Party Slim Down


1200681157The worst enemy of everyone’s New Year’s resolution is coming soon to a shiny HDTV near you: playoff football. The Super Bowl is only a few weeks away, and as we know all too well, Super Sunday’s main goal (besides, you know, crowning a winner in Phoenix) is to wreak absolute havoc on our diets.

But fear greasy chicken wings and cheesy nachos no more: help is on the way. We enlisted celebrity chef Philip Andriano, who has cooked for area sports stars, and is corporate executive chef of the meal delivery service Chefs Diet, to give our favorite game time snacks a super slimmed-down makeover.

For your football shindig, Chef Phil recommends sticking to the same approach Chefs Diet bases itself on: A 40-30-30 breakdown of carbs, protein, and “favorable fats.”

“You can make a better choice for yourself by eating better foods,” he says. “Rather than using potato chips, you might want to get hold of some pita bread.” Below you’ll find his healthful takes on a few classic football noshes.

Now if only someone could teach us how to make our beer low-cal. Hmmm. Wishful thinking.

Super Bowl Nachos
Yield: 1 serving (approx. 220 calories)
Ingredients:
2 oz. cheddar cheese (shredded)
1 oz. chips (corn)
5 tbs. bean dip
1 tbs. guacamole
Optional: jalapeño pepper slices
Method: Arrange the corn chips on a baking sheet. Divide bean dip by spooning on each chip, follow by sprinkling cheddar cheese. Bake chips at 350 degrees for 5 minutes. After baking, top with guacamole dip and/or garnish with jalapeño pepper slices.

Fat Free Spinach and Yogurt Dip
Yield: 1 serving (approx. 220 calories)
Ingredients:
2 oz. yogurt (plain)
1 cup spinach (chopped/drained)
1 slice whole bran bread (diced)
2 tbs. light sour cream
Method: Combine spinach, yogurt, and sour cream (add salt/pepper to taste). Arrange on a platter with bread cubes (can be lightly toasted if preferred).

Turkey Chili
Yield: 1 serving
Ingredients:

For chili:
3 oz. ground turkey
1 small clove garlic
2 oz. Spanish onion-diced
2 tsp. chili powder
Pinch coriander
Pinch cumin
8 oz. black beans
4 oz. canned tomatoes-diced
1 oz. cheddar cheese-as garnish

For salsa:
1 tsp. red onion-diced
1/2 tsp. olive oil
1/8 tsp. fresh cilantro-chopped
1 tbsp. plum tomato-diced
1 tbsp. tomatillos-diced
Salt and pepper to taste

Method
For salsa: Combine all ingredients, mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste.
For chili: In a pan, saute turkey, garlic, and onion. As the mixture begins to brown, add spices and canned tomato. Mix well. Allow to saute for a minute longer, then mix in black beans. Transfer mixture into a bowl, sprinkle with cheddar cheese, and top with salsa.