Super Bowl Snacks: Healthy Eats for the Big Game!

Avid football fan or not, I'm going to bet you have a Super Bowl Party to attend this weekend. And let's be honest, unless you are a fan of the two teams playing, this Sunday is much more a gathering for good food, ranking your favorite commercials during the Super Bowl and of course, watching the Halftime Performance. 

Worried about how you are going to stay on track with healthy alternatives during Gametime? Fear not, My Engineered Nutrition is to the rescue! I've gather my FAVORITE healthy recipes perfect for watching Big Game. You'll be a hit at your Super Bowl Party if you bring one of these dishes...and no one will be the wiser that it's healthy!

APPETIZERS

Brussels Sprout Chips

Baked Sweet Potato Chips

Buffalo Chicken Nachos

Gametime Guacamole

Avocado Lime Dressing

MAINS

Buffalo Chili

Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Bison Sliders

BBQ Chicken Pizza on Cauliflower Crust

Slow Cooker Carnitas

Buffalo Chili

Yum

When you hear the word 'chili' what comes to mind? Classic beef and kidney bean chili? Green chicken chili? Texas chili? Turkey chili? My personal go-to: Cincinnati chili? I think you get my point...

Everyone has their own take on chili.

The amazing thing about chili is that A) it is really hard to mess up and B)  there is an almost endless possibility of variations. 

Unless specifically stated as a bowl of vegetable chili, vegetables rarely ever come to mind. I'm going to bet the first thing that comes to mind is meat, followed closely by tomatoes and level of spiciness. 

Because this is MY chili - I call the shots. Just to balance out the meat and to make this more hearty without adding beans, I opted to sneak in bell peppers and zucchini (shhhh). Also, as tribute to my hometown chili, I added just a smidgen of cocoa powder. This may sound crazy but it pairs surprisingly well with the chipotle peppers and adobo sauce - think Mexican mole.

If you are having guests over for dinner, or just want a fun and creative way to serve up this chili, instead of serving in a bowl dish it up in bell peppers!

Buffalo Chili

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Servings: approximately 6 cups

Ingredients:

• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1 cup bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup zucchini, chopped
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp garlic
• 1 lb ground buffalo
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp ancho chili powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cans diced tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 chipotle pepper, canned
• 2 tbsp adobo sauce from chipotle peppers
• 1 tbsp cocoa
• 1/2 cup beef broth

Directions:

1. In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic, stirring until fragrant and golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add onions, bell pepper and zucchini, stir and cook until these have sweated out and softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Next, add ground buffalo, cumin, paprika, oregano, ancho chili powder and salt. Brown beef, about 5 minutes, continuing to stir and break up while cooking. 
3. Once the meat has browned, add all remaining ingredients, stirring until well incorporated. Increase heat, bringing chili to a boil. Cover pot, reduce to a simmer and allow to cook for 1 hour. 

Special serving note: If you'd like to serve chili stuff in bell peppers, cook chili covered in pot for 30 minutes. Stuff chili into prepared bell peppers and arrange in a baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in a 350°F oven for the remaining 30 minutes.

Nutritional Information (1 cup)

205 calories - 18 g Protein, 12 g Carbohydrates, 9.5 g Fat

Chili Lime Plantains

Yum

I recently tried my hand at making tostones. Tostones are a popular side dish in many Latin American countries, coming from the Spanish word tostar which literally means "to toast". You make them by frying unripened sliced plantains, draining excess oil, flattening the plantains and then frying them again. Not the healthiest of snacks but damn if they weren't delicious! While these baked plantains are in no way a substitute for crispy and fried, they are a healthier alternative (and in my opinion, more flavorful).

I used my mandoline to slice the plantains uniformly thin. I love this kitchen tool but a word of caution - if you aren't careful you may be slicing more than just the plantain! Be extra careful as you slice the plantain and when you are near the blade, use the hand guard to finish. If you don't have a mandoline, not to worry! You can simply slice the plantains thinly with a knife. 

Throw the sliced plantains into a large mixing bowl and combine with lime juice, melted coconut oil, chili powder, garlic and salt. Give them a quick toss and lay out evenly on a baking sheet. 

Into the oven they go for 40 min, flipping halfway through. These are best when eaten straight from the oven - serve as a side dish or eat them as a snack all on their own!

Chili Lime Baked Plantains

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 2 slightly ripened plantains (not green, but not completely brown)
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic granules
• 1/2 tsp Kosher salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. 
2. Thinly slice plantains, either with a mandoline or with a knife. (USE CAUTION with mandoline!)
3. Toss with lime juice, coconut oil, chili powder, garlic and salt. 
4. Evenly lay out the plantains on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. 
5. Bake for 40 minutes, flipping halfway through. Enjoy!

Nutritional info (1 serving = 1/4 of recipe, approximately 1/4 cup)

136 Calories - 1 g Protein, 24 g Carbs, 4 g Fat