I love football Sundays! If you’re anything like me, watching football goes along with good food and great friends. As we count down to Tom Brady’s return, I wanted to share a few healthy game day snack options so you can still enjoy the social aspects of football Sunday without ditching your healthy lifestyle.
First up, buffalo wing alternatives! I’m not going to lie and say I don’t enjoy some real wings from time to time but, it isn’t realistic for me to eat them during every Patriots game. I love finding healthy alternatives that satisfy my buffalo/hot sauce cravings!
Buffalo Chicken Meatballs from SkinnyTaste
Ingredients:
- oil spray
- 1 1/4 lb ground chicken
- 1/4 cup panko crumbs
- 1 large egg
- 2 scallions, chopped
- 1/3 cup finely minced celery
- 1/3 cup finely minced carrot
- 1 clove crushed garlic
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/3 cup Franks Hot sauce
- 1/4 cup skinny blue cheese dressing (optional)
- finely chopped celery leaf for garnish (optional)
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly spray a non-stick baking sheet with oil.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, panko crumbs, egg, scallions, celery, carrot and garlic; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Using clean hands, mix until combined. Roll the mixture (1/8 cup each) into 26 round meatballs.
- Place meatballs onto prepared baking sheet and bake until cooked through and golden, about 16 to 18 minutes.
- Place the meatballs in a bowl, add the buffalo sauce and gently toss to combine. Serve immediately, drizzled with blue cheese dressing, if desired.
Buffalo Cauliflower Bites from Veggie Inspired
Ingredients:
- 1 large head cauliflower, cut into bite size pieces
- 1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil – depending on the size of your head of cauliflower
- 1/3 – 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup Tabasco Buffalo Style Hot Sauce (Frank’s also makes a Buffalo hot sauce)
- 1/2 cup vegan sour cream
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 cup soy milk
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, drizzle the EVOO over the cauliflower and toss to coat well.
- Pour the breadcrumbs over and toss again to coat.
- Pour cauliflower onto a parchment lined baking sheet and spread out into one layer.
- Roast for 20 minutes or until cauliflower starts to get tender.
- Take out of oven and pour back into the large bowl.
- Pour hot sauce over cauliflower and toss to coat. (Feel free to add a bit more breadcrumbs at this point as well)
- Place back on baking sheet and roast for another 10-15 minutes or so until cauliflower starts to get crispy on the edges.
- Meanwhile, make the Cheater Vegan Ranch Dip. Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until combined.
- Take cauliflower out of oven. Serve with Cheater Vegan Ranch Dip.
- FYI: Some brands of vegan sour cream are more liquid than others. If yours seems very loose, start with only 2 tbsp of soy milk and then add more 1 tbsp at a time until you reach the desired consistency for dipping.
Note: Try to use gluten-free Panko breadcrumbs!
Next up, nachos! Who doesn’t like to munch on chips at half time? This healthy swap won’t make you miss the real thing.
Sweet Potato Nachos from Paleo Leap
Ingredients:
- 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into ¼-inch thick slices
- ¼ cup green onions, chopped
- ½ cup bell peppers, diced
- 1 or 2 jalapeños, sliced (optional)
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1 tsp. patrick
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- fresh cilantro, minched
- fresh salsa
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Steps:
- Preheat your oven to 425 F.
- In a bowl, combine the sweet potato slices, olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, and season weth salt and pepper to taste.
- Mix everything until well combined.
- Place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet, and bake in the oven for 40 minutes, turning once. Remove from the oven (but don’t turn the oven off!) and top with the bell pepper, green onions, and jalapeños.
- Return the loaded potato slices to the oven and broil for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Serve with avocado, salsa, and fresh cilantro.
Note: Add as many of your favorite vegetables as you’d like. Add chicken, ground turkey with taco seasoning or your favorite meat for extra protein!
P.S. Want to make your nachos even lighter? Try Grilled Zucchini Nachos!
Last but not least, PIZZA! There are few things I love more in this world than pizza. I’ve tried making it with cauliflower crust but it took a long time and usually on football Sundays you’re trying to get game day snacks together quickly before kick off! I’m looking forward to trying these pizza bites soon!
Zucchini Pizza Bites from The Fit Housewife
Ingredients:
- 2 medium zucchini, sliced 1/4″ thick
- 1/3 cup low-sugar marinara sauce
- 1/2 cup part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup turkey pepperoni slices, cut in half (can use turkey pepperoni sticks)
- 1/4 cup sliced olives (optional)
Steps:
- Place zucchini slices on a baking sheet.
- Top with a small amount of sauce, cheese, and a half a pepperoni slice.
- Broil for 3 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Serve warm.
Looking for more ideas? Check out this amazing list of 75 Healthy Game Day Snacks! Have fun this Sunday and remember…when the Patriots win, you win at Town Barre! If Tom Brady leads the team to victory, log into your MindBody account Monday to purchase a $12 class. Limit one purchase per client, per win. Class expires one month from purchase and is automatically used before your class packs. Go Pats!
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