Tastebud Touchdown: Healthier Game Day Snacks

By Andrew Hickey on Feb 1, 2024 @ 11:51 AM

Do you have a party planned for game day? Are you looking for more nutritious food options? You're not alone! The Super Bowl is the second-biggest day for food consumption in the U.S. Watching football is often associated with over-indulging in foods like pizza, wings, and chips. But it doesn't have to be that way.

Plenty of snacks are not only tasty but also good for you. Plus, your family and friends will love them. So, let's get your game time menu together with these healthier snack ideas. Score a touchdown with your tastebuds!

7-Layer Dip: Life is like a 7-layer dip. You could argue since you never know what you’ll get. This rendition features beans, guacamole, sour cream, shredded cheese, tomatoes, olives, green onions, cilantro, and hot sauce. And luckily, many different chip options are not of the deep-fried variety to go along with the dip.
Pretzel-Crusted Chicken: Take two game-day favorites and give them a healthier twist. In this case, you’re baking the chicken using unsalted pretzels, low-fat buttermilk, and Dijon mustard.
Air Fryer Egg Rolls: There’s nothing like the satisfying crunch of an egg roll. Now, you can enjoy them with a little less guilt. In place of bubbling oil is a light brushing and putting it in the air fryer. This recipe features ground pork. However, you can easily keep this vegetarian.
Spicy Sweet Potato Fries: Add extra spice to your game day by teaming sweet potato with chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and cayenne. To put it over the top, you can dip the fries in a mix of Greek yogurt and chipotle peppers.
Air-Popped Popcorn: Popcorn is already low in calories and high in fiber. Plus, you can air-pop it and then, for flavor, add some of your favorite spices like garlic powder or paprika. That’ll make your party pop!
Hummus and Tzatziki Dip: Chips and dip are a match made in heaven. What if there was a healthier alternative and it was easy to make? Hummus is a flavorful dip that is easy to make at home. With this 5-minute recipe, you only need canned chickpeas, garlic, lemon juice, and tahini sesame paste (if you can find it). If you want something creamier, look no further than tzatziki. This party favorite is made with Greek yogurt, cucumbers, lemon juice, garlic, and dill. Serve it with whole-grain pita chips for a crunchy and satisfying snack.
Coconut Shrimp: I scream, you scream, we all scream for shrimp. Or something like that. This recipe is sure to be a hit at your next party. You combine jumbo shrimp with shredded coconut and panko breadcrumbs. Your friends and family will snatch these up faster than you can say, “MVP, MVP.”
Crispy Mushroom Reuben Sandwiches: Mushrooms are already the perfect meat substitute, and now you can add them to a Reuben sandwich. You’ve got your mayo, your rye bread, Swiss or provolone cheese, and of course sauerkraut. It’s like a halftime show for your taste buds.
Paleo Brownies: You can’t go past these brownies to satisfy that game-day sweet tooth. You can get the classic flavor with simple ingredients like chocolate chips, coconut oil, cacao powder, and vanilla extract. There is also the secret weapon: espresso powder. You’d never know that these little wonders are both gluten-free and dairy-free.
Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies: Check out these sandwich cookies if you want to score extra points at your big party. It’s cinnamon, ginger, oats, carrot, and shredded coconut. How can you go wrong? Then add cream cheese and confectioners' sugar, and you’ve got a game-winner!

As you can see, there are plenty of healthier snack options that you can serve at your next game-day party. So, get geared up and hit the field. For extra fun, recruit friends and family to join the team and help put some snacks together.

For even more tasty inspiration, get your free cookbook with delicious recipes from members of the Solstice team. You will find a variety of cuisines, from grape jelly meatballs and oyster parmigiana to carrot cake and no-bake cookies.