It's time to blow the whistle on an awful Super Bowl weekend rumor that you can't eat clean snacks while enjoying the big game!
That is FALSE! You most definitely can snack clean and the best part, your friends and family won't even notice!
5 Easy Tips to Follow To Stay On Point During GameDay:
1.) Don't converse by the Snack Table. Make a small plate (which is tip #2) and get a few munchies and then chat with friends away from the snacks. The reason is you will be more accountable for your choices! If you stand by the table, a 2 minute trip will end up being 30 minutes later and you will have grazed the whole table or finished the guacamole ALL by yourself (How embarrassing! and you'll have serious regret later!) When you make a plate, you know what's on it! When you graze without accountability, you will have consumed way more than you realize!
2.) Small plates = Small change. Appetizers are just that, small plates. So keep your portions in check. Appetizers are NOT meant to be full meals, but small tastes. Treat them as such and your waist will thank you later. Using a smaller plate has been proven that you will consume 80% less than what you would by PILING on snacks on a big plate. And set limits, 1 trip back for the veggies, high protein, low calorie options, NOT the cupcakes, cookies, and brownies!
3.) Bring a healthy, friendly dish. Most of the time you hear, eat something BEFORE you go. This is Super Bowl weekend friends, its not starvation weekend! Super Bowl is up there with Thanksgiving when it comes to food holidays, but that does NOT mean it's SPLURGE weekend either! Not entertaining this weekend but going to your husband's co-workers shindig? Great! I have 5 recipes below that are NOT only delicious, but crowd approved. (I host Football Sundays and all 5 of these recipes have been tried and approved by big men who watch football and think pizza is one of the 4 main food groups! You know, we all have the NON-dieters & NON-healthy eaters. So trust when I say they are crowd pleasers, because these recipes are requested every weekend!)
4.) Opt for Flavored Waters OVER Alcohol. If you have been living under a rock for the past year and missed out on LaCroix flavored waters OR HINT OR Watermelon Perrier, first let me say "Welcome to Life from out from under the rock" and YOU ARE MISSING OUT!!!!! (Bubbly Water Recipe below!) If you are doing 80 Day Obsession you know the guidelines are strict right now and we still have 60 days left! And you are already loving the results, so why would 1 margarita or 1 beer ever be worth it right now?? Stay strong and sip a fruity bubble water instead!
5.) Use Veggies & Proteins as Dippers. When you dip, I dip. We dip, and who doesn't love dips at these parties right? Trade out the corn tortillas, pita chips, and bread for veggies and proteins dippers instead. (For those of us who are doing KETO, you can bake nitrate free salami circles in the oven on parchment paper until they crisp up & they are way more flavorful than any cracker!) Veggies & Flaxseed crackers are the other alternate. And let's be real Fixers, you always have that 1 Green left that you are always trying to figure out how to use up!
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NOTCHA ORDINARY NACHOS.
Love Nachos, but you have no yellows to spare? Don't worry you can still enjoy all the flavors of nachos, but with less guilt!
What You Need:
1 lb bag sweet mini bell peppers, cut in half and veins and seeds removed
2 tsp avocado oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 TBSP Fixate Taco Seasoning or Mrs. Dash (Salt-Free) Taco Seasoning
10 oz container grape tomatoes, cut in fourths
½ TBSP cilantro, chopped
juice from one lime
1 whole jalapeno, chopped
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup Fixate Vegan Nacho Cheese recipe
1 whole avocado, pitted and diced
Instructions
Place your mini bell peppers on a non-stick baking sheet.
Heat up your avocado oil in a skillet over medium heat.
Add half of the onion and sauté until translucent
Add the beans, taco seasoning and stir to combine.
Cook until the beans are warmed through. Remove from heat.
Make your pico de gallo. Mix together the tomatoes, cilantro, the other half of the onion, lime juice, jalapeno, and salt. Mix well.
Add a small amount of the bean mixture to the halved mini peppers. Then, add a small amount of the pico de gallo to each pepper. Top with the Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce.
Preheat your oven's broiler and broil the sheet of nachos for 4-5 minutes.
Add the diced avocado and garnish with cilantro. Bon Appetite!
Recipe adapted from www.happyhealthymama.com
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JUST WINGIN' IT.
What is football without chicken wings? Am I right? Football & chicken wings go together like Peanut Butter & Jelly and Cookies & Milk- HELLO! Well try this BAKED recipe with a Honey Chili Lime Sauce.
What You'll Need:
3 1/2 lbs chicken wings
2 TBSP baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp seasoning of choice (FlavorGod Buffalo Seasoning )
cooking spray
6 TBSP honey
4 TBSP low-sodium tamari (or soy sauce, if not gluten free)
4 to 6 TBS lime juice
1/8 to 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp granulated garlic
1 TBSP coconut aminos (optional)
1 TBSP fish sauce (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Arrange your oven racks so that one is in the upper third slot (just above center), and one is in the lower third slot (just below center).
Line a large baking pan with parchment paper. Place an oven-safe cookie rack on top of pan. Spray cookie rack generously with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a gallon-sized plastic zippered bag, mix baking powder, kosher salt, and seasoning, if you're using it. Throw in chicken wings and drumettes. Seal bag and shake everything up until chicken pieces are coated with powder mixture. Place chicken pieces on top of greased cookie rack. Don't worry if the wings are close together.
Place wings in the lower third slot and bake for 30 minutes. Bring the heat up to 425 degrees F, and bake for another 45 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.
While wings bake, prepare dipping sauce. In a saucepan, bring sauce ingredients to boil and simmer for a few minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 20 minutes.
When wings are a nice golden brown, take them out of the oven and let them rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Place wings in a large bowl, pour sauce (that will thicken after 20 minutes) over the wings and toss. Serve with veggies. Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Recipe Tin Eats .
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CAULI-FLOWER LOVE.
Pizza is a member of the 4 food groups right? I mean, I know I've never met a pizza that I didn't like. Try this FAKEOUT for your friends and they will seriously never know the difference. The guys in my group love these bite size bites. And it's super easy to make & you can get the little ones in on this too! (Don't like cauliflower? Then try riced broccoli instead!)
What You'll Need:
1 large head of cauliflower
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 eggs
4 ounces block mozzarella cheese, divided
72 mini pepperoni pieces
Pizza or marinara sauce for dipping
Chop the cauliflower into large florets.
Place ⅓ of the florets into a food processor. Give it a few quick pulses and then process for about 10 seconds until the cauliflower resembles rice kernels. Pulse a few more times until the cauliflower begins to form a paste. Transfer the cauliflower to a large microwave safe bowl. Repeat this process 2 more times with the remaining florets.
Microwave the cauliflower for 4 minutes until soft. Let the cauliflower cool for a few minutes. Place the bowl in the fridge or freezer to expedite. Then, drain the excess moisture from the cauliflower by placing it in a mound in the middle of a clean kitchen towel or cheese cloth. Gather the towel into a ball and twist to wring out every last bit of moisture. When you think you can't wring out any more, keep wringing! Place the cauliflower back into the bowl and add the seasonings and eggs. Mix well with a large spoon.
Spray a mini muffin tin liberally with cooking spray. Place about 1 tablespoon of the mixture into each well of the muffin tin. I used a mini ice cream scoop for this part. Chop 2 ounces of cheese into 24 mini chunks. Shred the remaining 2 ounces of cheese with a grater. Push 1 chunk of cheese into the middle of each cauliflower bite.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until the edges begin to brown. Take out of the oven and top each bite with a sprinkle of shredded mozzarella cheese and 3 mini pepperoni pieces. Place back in the oven for 3-4 minutes until the top layer of shredded cheese is melted. Use a butter knife to carefully loosen the bite from the sides of the pan and remove.
Serve the bites with a small dish of marinara sauce on the side.
Adapted from Destination Delish.
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TIGHT END BROWNIES
The saying "A moment on the lips, is a lifetime on the hips." Not with this recipe!! All that glute work would go down the drain if you just indulged! And these are VEGAN!! Let's stay focused while feeding the craving! Here's a delicious dessert that your guests will love that is guaranteed to score you a TOUCHDOWN while keeping your end tight!
What You'll Need:
1 14-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 eggs
1/3 cup raw cacao powder
2/3 cup coconut sugar
2 tablespoons full-fat canned coconut milk or coconut oil
1 teaspoon coffee grinds*
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 9" x 9" pan with parchment paper (or lightly oil it).
2. Add all ingredients for the brownies to a blender and blend until completely smooth.
3. Pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 24 to 26 minutes or until brownies test clean.
4. Allow brownies to cool at least 20 minutes before cutting with a football cookie cutter (avail at ALL craft stores & on Amazon), use FROSTING recipe below & a ziploc baggy to create the lines. Enjoy!
Recipe adapted by the RoastedRoot.com
3 Ingredient Easy Vegan Frosting
What You'll Need:
3/4 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup vegan margarine
1/8 cup vanilla almond milk
Instructions:
1. Combine ingredients in a mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, blend until creamy.
2. The consistency of the frosting may vary. Add more sugar, margarine or almond milk as needed.
This easy vegan vanilla frosting recipe has been reprinted with permission from The Compassionate Cook Cookbook.
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MOCKTAILS
Patriot Punch
What You'll Need:
6 oz. Berry flavoried Sparkling Waters (I used LaCroix)
Garnish with frozen strawberries & blueberries (Tip: Freeze them because they will serve as ice cubes to keep your drink cold without watering it down like ice does!)
The FLY-JITO
What You'll Need:
6 oz. Lime or Citrus flavoried Sparkling Waters (I used LaCroix)
Juice of 1/2 Lime
Mint to garnish
Garnish with frozen lime slices (Tip: Freeze them because they will serve as ice cubes to keep your drink cold without watering it down like ice does!)