Are you ready for some football? Fans across the country are gearing up for the biggest game of the year, and for many, this also means hosting or attending a Super Bowl party. To avoid indulging in trays of fried finger foods, bowls of chips and dip, and other traditional (and unhealthy!) Super Bowl Sunday snacks — which are likely to derail your diet — try these four South Beach Diet–friendly alternatives:
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Instead of chips and dip … prepare a platter of fresh-cut veggies and hummus or salsa if you’re on Phase 1. If you’re on Phase 2 or 3, replace chips with toasted whole-wheat pita triangles and pair them with South Beach Diet-friendly dip like this Spinach and Artichoke Dip (Phase 1)
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Instead of Buffalo wings … substitute Buffalo Chicken Bites (Phase 1) and serve with a South Beach Diet-friendly blue cheese sauce for dipping. You can prepare your own blue cheese sauce by mashing crumbled reduced-fat blue cheese and whisking it together with reduced-fat sour cream, mayonnaise, fresh lemon juice, vinegar, and hot pepper sauce.
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Instead of pizza ... use portobello mushroom caps as your “crust” top them with some tomato sauce and shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese, and bake. You can add cooked low-fat turkey sausage or some diced ham if you like and season with fresh or dried herbs of your choice. If you’re on Phase 2, use whole-wheat or white whole-wheat flour to prepare a homemade crust, or toast a whole-wheat pita, and add your favorite toppings.
- Instead of fatty, buttery popcorn … enjoy a nut mix like our Spicy Nut Mix (Phase 1) on all Phases. If you’re on Phase 2 or 3, microwave a bag of trans-fat-free popcorn.
Game-Day Alcohol Reminder
If you’re on Phase 1, alcohol (including beer and wine) is off-limits, so stick to sugar-free sodas, flavored waters, vegetable-juice blends, diet tonic, club soda, seltzer (with lime), or water. If you’re on Phase 2 or 3, you can enjoy a modest amount of alcohol, like wine and light beer. It is recommended that women limit their intake to one alcoholic beverage a day, and men, to one to two a day.
