Even though I love the game dearly, I love the game-time snacks even more. But my husband and I are watching our waistlines, so instead of super-greasy fried food and creamy dips, I like to make these healthy low-cal football snacks.
- I love party mixes but they’re often made with the better part of a stick of butter, or worse, margarine. Jojo’s Party Mix gets its irresistible, rich taste from olive oil and a bit of Parmesan cheese, with two-thirds less fat (none of it saturated) so you can forget about that other stuff.
- I love spinach dip in all its forms, particularly the creamy, cold versions with crunchy water chestnuts, often served in a bread bowl. I was a bit skeptical when we decided to make a healthier version, but Creamy Spinach Dip is better than any full-fat version I’ve tried and has 10 grams less fat than traditional versions! Touchdown!
- If I had to say what my favorite bar food is, loaded potato skins are definitely it. Luckily, potato skins are the most nutritious part of the potato, so with just a touch of olive oil and Parmesan, you can bake up your own healthy Parmesan Potato Skin Chips.
- When the game is tied and the minutes are ticking away in the 4th quarter, I tend to eat nervously. So I make sure to have Ranch Dip & Crunchy Vegetables on hand, so I can guiltlessly munch away on the raw veggies—with just a bit of dip, of course—without feeling too guilty!
- I have a soft spot for all things “Buffalo-style”—or maybe I have a soft spot for blue cheese dressing… Either way, Boneless Buffalo Wings (recipe follows) are always a hit when I serve them up on game day.
Boneless Buffalo Wings
Even though boneless Buffalo wings are made with healthy white-meat
chicken, they’re usually deep-fried and drenched in hot sauce laced
with butter. The solution: chicken tenders are dredged in seasoned
whole-wheat flour and cornmeal, pan-fried in only a small amount of
oil and then drizzled with a tangy hot pepper sauce. With a
fraction of the fat, calories and sodium, these boneless wings are
reason enough to throw a party. To make ahead: The chicken can
marinate (Step 1) for up to 1 hour.
Spicy Blue Cheese Dip
2/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Wings & Vegetables
3 tablespoons nonfat buttermilk (see Tip, below)
3 tablespoons hot sauce, such as Frank’s RedHot, divided
3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar, divided
2 pounds chicken tenders (see Ingredient Note, below)
6 tablespoons whole-wheat flour
6 tablespoons cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
2 cups carrot sticks
2 cups celery sticks
1. To prepare dip: Whisk sour cream, blue cheese, 1 tablespoon
vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne in a small bowl. Cover and
refrigerate until ready to serve.
2. To prepare wings: Whisk buttermilk, 2 tablespoons hot sauce and
2 tablespoons vinegar in a large bowl until combined. Add chicken;
toss to coat. Transfer to the refrigerator and let marinate for at
least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
3. Meanwhile, whisk flour and cornmeal in a shallow dish. Whisk the
remaining 1 tablespoon hot sauce and 1 tablespoon vinegar in a
small bowl; set aside.
4. Remove the chicken from the marinade and roll in the flour
mixture until evenly coated. (Discard remaining marinade and flour
mixture.) Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon
cayenne.
5. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over
medium-high heat. Add half the chicken, placing each piece in a
little oil. Cook until golden brown and cooked through, 3 to 4
minutes per side. Transfer to a serving platter. Repeat with the
remaining 1 tablespoon oil and chicken, reducing the heat if
necessary to prevent burning. Transfer to the platter. Drizzle the
chicken with the reserved hot sauce mixture. Serve with carrots,
celery and Spicy Blue Cheese Dip.
Makes 8 servings (2 “wings,” 1/2 cup vegetables & 2
tablespoons dip each).
Per serving: 256 calories; 10 g fat (4 g sat, 4 g mono); 83 mg
cholesterol; 12 g carbohydrate; 31 g protein; 2 g fiber; 353 mg
sodium; 248 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (120% daily value).
Tip: No buttermilk? You can use buttermilk powder prepared according to package directions. Or make “sour milk”: mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup milk.
Ingredient note: Chicken tenders, virtually fat-free, are a strip of rib meat typically found attached to the underside of the chicken breast, but they can also be purchased separately. Four 1-ounce tenders will yield a 3-ounce cooked portion. Tenders are perfect for quick stir-fries, chicken satay or kid-friendly breaded “chicken fingers.”
By Carolyn Malcoun
When associate editor Carolyn Malcoun came to Vermont to attend New England Culinary Institute, she knew she didn't want to work in a restaurant but knew that she wanted to do something in the food industry. Luckily she discovered EatingWell, where she's able to combine her love of food and writing.
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