10 HEALTHY SNACKS FOR YOUR SUPER BOWL PARTY

Let’s face it… Superbowl = Snack-off. Unfortunately most of the popular snacks that are found at parties across the country are not so great for our health, or nutritious for our bodies. And since food is the equivalent to the fuel that our bodies run off of, why not choose foods that give our bodies nutrients to operate better, as well as please our taste buds? Refraining from the festive football foods (yet not-so-healthy nibbles) is not much fun, and so here are a few Superbowl-friendly and healthier alternatives for picking. Now you can show up with delicious-looking (and tasting) delectables and still be scoring big points for the nutrient count. Who knows, you may just earn yourself Superbowl Party MVP!

Baked Buffalo Cauliflower Dip

Found at Seededatthetable.com

• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to salt boiling water

• 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets

• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and halved

• 8 ounces cream cheese, quartered

• 1 package (8 oz) shredded Mexican flavored cheese

• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more or less to taste

• 1/4 cup hot sauce, more or less to taste

• Vegetables, crackers, pretzels, chips (for dipping)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Boil the cauliflower florets in a large pot of salted boiling water until just fork tender, about 3-5 minutes; drain and transfer to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the garlic to the bowl and pulse until combined. Add the cream cheese and process until somewhat smooth.

Add the cheese, cayenne pepper and hot sauce then process until smooth. Sprinkle in more cayenne pepper and hot sauce, to taste. Transfer to a baking dish (at least 1 1/2 quart sized). Sprinkle the top with more cayenne pepper for garnish, if desired.

Bake for 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature with the vegetables, crackers, pretzels and/or chips.

Avocado Feta Salsa Found at GarnishwithLemon.com.

• 2 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced

• 1 ripe avocado – peeled, pitted and diced

• ¼ cup finely chopped red onion

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon snipped fresh parsley or 2 cubes Dorot frozen herbs

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

• 2 tablespoon olive oil

• 2 tablespoon red or white wine vinegar

• 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese

Mix the tomato, avocado and red onion in a medium bowl. Add the herbs, olive oil and vinegar. Stir together gently so the avocado keeps it shape. Stir in the feta cheese. Serve with tortilla chips or crackers.

Mini Cauliflower Pizza Bites Found at DashingDish.com.

• 2 Cups Cauliflower (about 1/2 head of cauliflower)

• 1/4 Cup Egg whites (or 1 large egg white)

• 1/8 Cup Cottage cheese

• 1/4 Cup Parmesan cheese

• 1/2 Tsp Dried oregano (or Dried Italian Seasoning)

• 1/2 Tsp Dried basil (or Dried Italian Seasoning)

• 1/4 Tsp Garlic powder

• 1/4 Cup Mini turkey pepperoni’s (or regular size turkey pepperoni cut into quarters)

Preheat oven to 425.

Line 14 mini muffin cups with silicone liners, or foil muffin liners with paper liners removed. Spray liners with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

Wash cauliflower, and cut in half, (save the rest for later). Break cauliflower into segments, and place in food processor. Pulse until it reaches a rice-like texture. Place cauliflower in microwave safe bowl and microwave for 8 minutes. (Do NOT add water or cover).

Remove cauliflower from microwave and add the rest of the ingredients. Stir to combine. Place back in microwave for 2 minutes. Mix again. Scoop cauliflower mixture into muffin liners, dividing evenly between the 14 mini liners. Fill to the top, and press filling down so it’s compact in liner.

Place muffin tin in the oven and bake muffins for 30-35 minutes, or when top starts to become golden brown. Remove from the oven, let cool completely before popping the muffins out of the liners. Serve warm with pizza sauce for dipping!

Vegan Creamed Spinach-Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms Found at LeslieDurso.com

• 24 mushrooms, (medium size portobellos work well)

• 3 tbsp. butter substitute like Earth Balance

• 1/2 onion, finely diced

• 2 garlic, diced

• 1 tbsp. flour

• 1 cup plain soy or coconut milk

• 1 1/2 lb fresh spinach, chopped

• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg

• salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Place the chopped spinach in a large frying pan. Do not turn on the heat.

In a sauce pot, on medium heat, melt the butter and add the onion and garlic. Saute until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the flour and stir continuously until it becomes a paste like consistency and tan colored.

Carefully add the soy or coconut milk, and nutmeg, and continue to stir continuously. When the flour is dissolved pour the sauce over the spinach in the frying pan.

Turn the pan on medium heat and toss until the spinach has wilted. Scoop the spinach mixture into the mushrooms and place on a cookie sheet.

Bake for 15-20 minutes. Serve warm.

Baked Chick Peas 3 Ways: Sweet, Salty & Spicy Found at LemonstoLemonade.net

• 15 oz. Chickpeas (for each flavor)

• 1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil (for each flavor)

• 1/4 tsp. Sea Salt (for the Salty Chick Peas)

• 1/2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper (for the Spicy Chick Peas)

• 1/2 tsp. Chili Powder (Spicy)

• 1/4 tsp. Cumin (Spicy)

• 1/8 tsp. Sea Salt (Spicy)

• 1 tbsp. Coconut Palm Sugar (for the Sweet Chick Peas)

• 1 tsp. Cinnamon (Sweet)

Preheat oven to 400F degrees.

Drain and rinse your chick peas in a fine mesh strainer. Lay them in between two paper towels to dry. Mix the chick peas with the olive oil and spices (depending on which flavor you chose) and make sure the beans are all covered.

Cover the baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the chick peas evenly across the pan. Pop it in the oven and set the timer for 30 minutes. Periodically check in on the beans, as it may take much longer (45 minutes) to fully cook. They should be hard and crunchy on the outside and more hollow in the middle.

Let them cool for a few minutes but they are ready to eat right away. If you don’t eat them all in one sitting, store them in an air tight container (like a mason jar) and try to eat within a few days. They are crunchiest right out of the oven, so make a batch you will eat immediately

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Red Pear and Gorgonzola Found at InspiredEdibles.ca

• 15 or so fresh Brussels sprouts, cut in half

• 2 red pears, skin-on sliced

• Small chunk Gorgonzola cheese (about 2 oz or 60 grams), or other cheese of choice, sliced

• 30 or so dried cranberries

• Olive oil

• Sea salt & coarse black pepper

Heat oven to 400 F.

The Brussels sprouts will shrink as they roast, so don’t be concerned about the size you start out with (some of them can be quite robust!). Place cut Brussels sprouts in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Toss to combine.

Scatter seasoned Brussels sprouts on a foil lined baking sheet. If the sprouts are not able to stand upright, trim the very tip of the sprout to create a ledge to steady them. Add a sprinkle of cracked pepper over the sprouts.

Bake sprouts in the oven for approximately 20-25 minutes or until they begin to open up and take on a delicious golden colour. Be sure to check in on the sprouts somewhere around the half-way mark to give them a shake, stir or flip.

Remove sprouts from oven and allow them to cool slightly. (Meanwhile, assemble sliced pear and cheese.) Once sprouts are cool enough to handle, add a slice of pear to the cut side top of the sprout, followed by a slice of Gorgonzola (or cheese of choice) and top with a cranberry. Hold the layers together with a toothpick and do a little happy dance!

*Makes about 30 appetizers.

Baked Buffalo Cauliflower Wings Found at PreventionRD.com

• 1 head cauliflower

• 1 cup fat-free milk

• ¾ cups all-purpose flour

• 2 tsp garlic powder

• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter

• 1/3 cup Frank’s Red Hot sauce

Preheat oven to 450 F.

Trim the heat of cauliflower into pieces; set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together milk, flour and garlic powder.

Dip each piece of cauliflower into the batter and allow the extra batter to dip off. Place on a greased baking sheet. Spray the tops of the florets with cooking oil. Bake for 18 minutes.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Mix together melted butter and Frank’s hot sauce. Toss cooked cauliflower pieces with sauce.

Yield: 6 appetizer servings (about 5 pieces)

Football Deviled Eggs Found via Pinterest.

• 6 eggs

• ¼ cup lite mayonnaise

• 2 tsp mustard

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• Chives

Hard boil eggs. There are many methods to do this. I fill up a pot half way with water and gently add eggs, making sure water covers eggs with at least an inch of water above. Bring water to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce to a simmer, and let cook for 10 minutes. Remove eggs from heat and drain water. Let cool.

Peel eggs and gently remove yolks, trying to not break the whites.

Combine egg yolks, mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper until well blended. To make smooth, do this in a food processor until all lumps are gone.

Spoon or pipe egg mixture back into egg white halves.

To create football laces, cut chives to length of yolk and place on top of yolk. Cut 3 smaller pieces of chives and place evenly on top of longer piece.

Ahi Tuna Seviche Found at TheEnchantedCook.com

• 1/2 pound Ahi tuna steak (sashimi grade if possible), diced

• 2 Tablespoons soy sauce

• 1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil

• 1/2 Tablespoon rice vinegar

• 1/2 of a Serrano pepper, very thinly sliced

• Juice of 1 lime

• 5 small leaves of fresh mint

• sprinkle of black sesame seeds (optional)

In medium bowl mix soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, Serrano pepper, lime juice, mint, and sesame seeds. Then add diced tuna and toss to coat.

The tuna is ready to eat as soon as it’s tossed and coated but you can marinate it for a few minutes if desired. The tuna will start to turn white almost immediately, a sign that it is cooking from the acidity of the lime juice. It is not necessary to cook the tuna. In fact, it is best served immediately while it is melt-in-your-mouth tender and moist.

Serve immediately by mounding atop crackers, chips, micro-greens or roasted sweet potato slices.

Sweet Potato Chips with Thyme Found at FeedMeSeymour.com.

• 1 sweet potato, thinly sliced

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil

• 1 Tbsp. orange zest

• 1-2 tsp. freshly chopped thyme

• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Combine olive oil and orange zest in a small bowl. Using a pastry brush, brush half the olive oil mixture onto your baking sheet.

Lay your sweet potato slices onto the baking sheet. Brush the potato slices with the remaining oil. Sprinkle thyme evenly on top of your potato slices.

Roast in the oven for 20 to 25 minute until crisp. Sprinkle salt and pepper on top to taste.

ENJOY!!