Super Bowl Sunday! My team, the Patriots, are in it this year and there is a lot of party planning going on in Boston right now. Not the usual high-brow dinner fare; we’re talking pigs in a blanket, ribs, hamburgers, french fries, buffalo wings, the more grease and sugar the better. Time for another version of “This Is Why You’re Fat!”
(And for those of you who don’t want to know and plan on scarfing down an entire bag of chips by yourself: read this and you’ll make a couple of smart choices to go with the splurges!)
Super Bowl Sunday is actually the second highest day of food consumption, coming in right after Thanksgiving!
Here are some examples:
- 1 buffalo wing with blue cheese dip: 220 calories (yes, only one!)
- 1 slice of cheese pizza: 240 calories
- 5 pigs in a blanket: 540 calories
- 1 ounce of potato chips: 155 calories
- 12-ounce beer: between 150 and 200 (Guinness only has 96!)
Both Thanksgiving and the Super Bowl happen only once a year and, honestly, scarfing down a huge amount of calories once in a blue moon probably won’t kill you. What you don’t want to have happen is for Super Bowl Sunday to be the event that knocks you “off the wagon” and gets you back into bad habits. So a few suggestions:
Add veggies. Cut up some veggies and throw them on a plate. Try to eat them first so you’re full and eat less crap.
Make a plate. Fill a plate with food and just eat off of it; don’t keep dipping your hand into the chip bowl as you’ll have no idea how much you’ve eaten and will inevitably eat more. A lot more.
Put the food away from the TV. If you’re hosting a party, put the food in an adjacent area, not right by the TV. People will focus on the game, not the food, and that’s why you’re there, right?
Splurge smart. Have one slice of pizza. Or one cupcake. Or eat some junk if you want to, but keep it in moderation. This really isn’t a good excuse to eat yourself sick.
Sunday is about team spirit, fun, and friends. Super Bowl parties are a blast because of what’s happening. You’re surrounded by friends, you’re rooting for your favorite team, you’re making fun of Super Bowl commercials! Tasty snacks are a bonus, but they’re not the end all, be all. Please add your healthy party ideas below. It would be great to share.
Keep it in perspective and have a great time this Sunday!
Go Patriots!!!!
Lisa