Game On For Healthy Snacks

These cinnamon chips don’t lie – this fruit salsa is perfecto. And now is the perfect time to start planning those game day snacks! While the Pack may have been defeated, I’m not letting that rain on my parade. Because really, football is all about the snacks anyway, right? And those snacks don’t have to set you back from your healthy eating aspirations. Read on for some of my favorite not-so-sinful game day recipes including this fruit salsa, buffalo cauliflower wings and a roasted red pepper dip that will have you dipping veggies for days.

When you think of game day food, what comes to mind? Visions of buffalo wings, pizza and cheesy dips? Uh huh. Thought so. Now there’s no shame in salivating over everyone’s favorite fried foods. But, brown doesn’t have to be the only color of choice on your plate. Because fruit and veggies can have just as much game when dolled up in their Sunday best. And filling up on these fiber-rich, nutrient dense and high water foods can help you to scale back on some of the more indulgent foods. And yes, I said scale back because eating healthy doesn’t have to be black or white – especially if you’re just hopping off the January Whole30 train and ready to imbibe in some of the sworn off foods. Here are some my tips for eating healthy-ish at game day.

Tips for a Healthy-Ish Game Day

1.) Hydrate! Hunger is often masked as thirst. Before your game watch, chug a glass of water to curb your appetite. If you’re enjoying adult beverages, consider swapping every other drink for a glass of water. If water isn’t your thing, think about dressing it up with some fresh fruit or grabbing a flavored seltzer water.

2.) Bigger Is Not Always Better. Grab a smaller, appetizer-sized plate rather than a dinner-sized plate at the buffet table. More often than not, we’ll fill the space of our plates, so this is a way to hold yourself back from piling on portions that are too large. It also forces you to make choices of the things you really want, but everything is not gonna fit on that tiny plate.

3.) Mamma Always Said, Veggies First. Before you dive head first into that pizza, grab a plate of fruits and veggies with healthy-ish dips. This ensures you get in those greens and will keep hunger at bay so that you’re more conservative when you get to the good stuff like those wings you wanted to devour.

4.) Step Away From the Buffet. Out of sight, out of mind. Ever find yourself endlessly munching because you’ve been standing by a table piled high with food for the last hour? Take yourself away from the food. Force yourself to make the choice of walking over to the buffet for more food. In fact, sit as far away as you can! It serves a dual purpose of getting in those steps and being more mindful of your choices.

5.) Walk It Out. Find some time to get in some movement, whether it be a pre-game workout, a half-time dance party with Shakira or scheduling a post-game workout session the next day. It’s a long game and that means a lot of sitting. At a minimum, make sure to stand up and walk around every 20 minutes or so. Maybe even consider watching the game on an exercise ball to get in some core work. Do you, but also, do some movement to offset some of the excess calories.

Now that you’re ready to get your healthy-ish game on, let’s dive into some of my favorite, not-so-sinful game day snacks!

Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon Tortilla Chips
Makes: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:
Fruit Salsa
– 2 Golden Delicious apples peeled, cored and diced
– 8 oz of raspberries, cut in half
– 16 oz of strawberries, diced
– 2 kiwi fruit, peeled and diced
– 3 T fruit preserves
– 1 T coconut sugar (optional)
Cinnamon Tortilla Chips
– 2 packages of tortillas (I used Mikey’s Gluten-Free Cassava Flour Tortillas)
– Ghee, ghee spray or butter spray (I used Vital Farms Ghee Butter)
– Coconut sugar and cinnamon (I used 2 T sugar for every 1/4 tsp of cinnamon)

Directions:
Step 1: To make the tortilla chips, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Using a scissors, cut each tortilla into 6 or 8 wedges and place in a single layer on the parchment paper. Either spray the tortilla wedges with ghee or butter spray, or brush on the ghee butter. Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture, flip and repeat. Place in the oven for 15 minutes and allow to cool. You likely will need to do this in a few batches.

Step 2: To make the fruit salsa, add all of the ingredients to a large bowl and gently mix. Place in the fridge for 15 minutes to chill and serve with the tortilla chips!

Buffalo Cauliflower Wings
Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:
Buffalo Cauliflower Wings
– 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
– 1/2 C almond flour
– 1/2 C water
– 1 tsp garlic powder
– 1/2 tsp salt
– 2/3 C hot sauce
– 1 T ghee or melted butter (I used Vital Farms Ghee Butter)
Greek Yogurt Ranch
– 3/4 C plain, full fat Greek yogurt
– 1 tsp lemon juice
– water to thin
– onion powder
-lemon pepper seasoning

Directions:
Step 1: To make the cauliflower wings, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. In a large bowl, mix the almond flour, water, garlic and salt. Toss the cauliflower florets in the mixture to coat and place on the baking sheet in a single layer. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, flipping the cauliflower mid-way through.

Step 2: To make the buffalo sauce, place the hot sauce and ghee or melted butter in a large bowl. Take the cauliflower out of the oven and using a spatula or tongs, place in the bowl of hot sauce and toss gently to coat. After coating the cauliflower, place back on the baking sheet in a single layer and bake for an additional 10 minutes, flipping the cauliflower mid-way through.

Step 3: Finish the cauliflower by setting the oven to broil at 450 degrees and baking an additional 15 minutes, flipping the cauliflower mid-way through. Allow to cool.

Step 4: To make the Greek yogurt dipping sauce, stir the Greek yogurt and lemon juice in a small bowl. Add enough water to get your desired consistency and enough onion powder to get your desired level of flavor. Add in small increments. Finish with a few shakes of lemon pepper seasoning.

Roasted Red Pepper Cashew Dip
Makes: 8-10 servings

Ingredients:
– 1 red bell pepper, roasted (I bought a jar from Trader Joe’s)
– 1 C raw cashews soaked overnight in the fridge
– 1/2 C of water
– 1 clove of garlic (or 1 tsp of jarred, minced garlic)
– 1 tsp smoked paprika
– 1 tsp nutritional yeast
– 1/2 tsp salt
– freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a food processor. Mix until a creamy texture. Add additional water depending on desired thickness. Serve with your favorite veggies, crackers or chips.