It’s almost Super Bowl Sunday, and you know what that means … snacks on snacks on snacks.
Oh right, and football (sorry, Dad). But really, it is the second largest eating day in America, right after Thanksgiving. Woah. Those game day jitters make us mindlessly munch all night long I guess!
Whether you’re hosting friends or heading to a party, Super Bowl Sunday is usually synonymous with fatty snacks and tons of booze that will leave you feeling not so great on Monday morning. I’m here to tell you: it doesn’t have to be that way. You just have to go in prepared. No need to ditch all the fun snacks, just have to make sure you have the right ones on deck.
I put together a roundup of some of my favorite healthy Super Bowl Sunday fare. All of the recipes are gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free, and high in fiber, just how we like it. All of these recipes are low in sugar and carbohydrates (all are grain-free!), which supports healthy blood sugar levels, weight management, stable energy levels, healthy gut microbiomes, and of course, big smiles.
I also included a healthier take on a bloody mary. Do people drink those on Super Bowl Sunday? I’m not really sure. But I just love ‘em. Was very tempted to make one while writing this email. It was 1PM on a Thursday, so I held off…
Not trying to make anything from scratch? I feel you. Sometimes you just have to run to the store last minute. I’ve got you covered here too.
HAN’S Healthy Super Bowl Party Must-Have’s
A Healthier Bloody Mary
serves 1
INGREDIENTS
- 8 oz organic tomato juice
- 1 shot of Prairie Organic Vodka
- ½ lemon, juiced *lime works great too, I do both!
- 1/4 tsp Worcestershire Sauce *I like The Wizard’s Organic, it’s a clean, vegan, and gluten-free option
- A few drops of Tabasco Sauce, depending on how spicy you like it
- 1/4 Tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
- ½ tsp horseradish (optional)
- 3 whole green olives
- 1 lime, wedge
- 1 organic celery stalk
DIRECTIONS
- In a cocktail shaker, or large jug, combine the tomato juice, vodka, lemon juice, Worcestershire, tabasco, and Old Bay. Shake/stir to combine.
- Add ice to a glass, then pour over the tomato juice.
- Garnish with a celery stalk, olives, and lime.
Butternut Squash Queso
serves 6
INGREDIENTS
- 1 ½ cups canned butternut squash puree
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 3 Tbsp tapioca flour *if you don’t have this, it will still turn out well. An all-purpose paleo flour mix works too.
- 1 ½ tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 3 tsp avocado oil
- ½ cup vegetable broth
- 1 cup canned fire roasted diced tomatoes with green chiles
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeño, minced
- 1 Tbsp lime juice
- ½ tsp Himalayan salt
DIRECTIONS
- Throw the butternut squash puree and onion in a blender and blend until smooth. In a small bowl, mix together the flour, cumin, chili powder, and smoked paprika and set it aside.
- Grab a medium-sized soup pot and warm the avocado oil over a medium heat. Throw in the flour and spice mixture and keep stirring until it begins to thicken. Slowly add in the vegetable broth while whisking.
- Add the diced tomatoes and all their juices and keep stirring. Pour in the butternut squash mix, the nutritional yeast, garlic, jalapeños, lime juice, and salt. Stir well, and turn down the heat to low. Let everything simmer together for 3-5 minutes. Serve warm and steamy.
The Best Guac
serves 4 to 6
INGREDIENTS
- 2 medium-size ripe avocados *make sure they are good and ripe!
- 1 lime, juiced
- 3/4 tsp. Himalayan salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
- ½ tsp. ground cumin
- ¼ c fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- ½ jalapeño pepper, minced
DIRECTIONS
- Halve the avocados, pit them, and scoop the flesh with a large spoon into a small mixing bowl.
- Use the spoon to mash the avocado until smooth, and slightly chunky is that is how you like it (like me!).
- Add lime juice, salt, coriander, cumin, cilantro, green onion, and jalapeno. Stirring until all ingredients are combined and you’ve reached the desired consistency.
- Taste and add more lime juice and/or salt as needed.
Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
serves 3
INGREDIENTS
- 1 head of cauliflower
- 3 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- Pinch of Himalayan salt
- 2 Tbsp Buffalo Tabasco Sauce
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat Oven to 450° F.
- Cut the cauliflower into bite sized pieces, and place in a large mixing bowl. Add salt, avocado oil, and toss until all cauliflower pieces are well coated.
- Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and sprinkle with nutritional yeast. Bake for 15 minutes or until the cauliflower is browned.
- Remove cauliflower from the oven, place back in the large mixing bowl, and add Buffalo Tabasco Sauce. – Toss together to coat the cauliflower. Serve immediately.
Rosemary Sweet Potato Fries
serves 2
INGREDIENTS
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into fry shapes *I love purple japanese sweet potatoes, but any kind will work!
- Coconut or avocado oil spray
- 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
- Himalayan salt & pepper
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat your oven to 425°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Soak the cut potatoes in cold water for 20-60 minutes. *This helps remove some of the starch and makes crispier fries!
- Drain and rinse well, then pat dry with a towel, so the fries are nice and dry.
- Transfer the fries to a clean bowl, and spray with the coconut/avocado oil. Add rosemary, salt, and pepper, and toss with your hands to coat evenly.
- Arrange the fries into a single layer on the lined baking sheet, and bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, flip them over, and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the fries are golden and crispy. Serve immediately. I loveee this sugar-free ketchup.
Sweet Potato Nachos
serves 4-6
INGREDIENTS
- chips
- 3-pounds sweet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/4-inch slices, using a mandolin or a knife
- Coconut/avocado oil spray
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- Himalayan salt and pepper, to taste
- black bean avocado salsa
- 1 cup canned black beans *look for a BPA-free can!
- 1 large avocado, peeled, pitted, chopped
- 1 jalapeño, ribs and seeds removed, minced
- 1/2 small red onion, chopped
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
- Juice and zest of 2 limes
- Salt and pepper
- garnishes
- 1 large watermelon radish, thinly sliced and quartered
- Cilantro leaves
- Corn kernels
- Lime wedges
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line two sheet trays with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, coat the sweet potatoes with the chili powder, salt and pepper, and a few generous sprays of oil.
- Evenly spread the potatoes out on the sheet trays in a single layer. Bake for 15 minutes, flip, and bake for another 10 minutes until brown and crispy around the edges.
- While the potatoes bake, make the salsa. In a bowl, combine the beans, avocado, jalapeño, red onion, cilantro, lime zest and juice, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Taste and adjust lime or salt, if needed.
- Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven, and top with salsa and desired garnishes. I have to say, the butternut squash queso above would go pretty well on these. Serve immediately.
Brussels Chips
serves 2-4
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups Brussels sprout leaves (outer leaves from 2 pounds of sprouts)
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil
- Garlic powder
- Himalayan salt + pepper
- *what is also amazing on these (and basically everything) is onion salt from Trader Joe’s. If you don’t know, now you know.
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Mix the leaves, avocado oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper together in a large bowl.
- Line two large baking trays with parchment paper. Divide the leaves evenly in a single layer on each tray.
- Bake each tray for 8-10 minutes or until crispy and brown around the edges.
Red Lentil + Veggie Chili
serves 6
INGREDIENTS
- 2 Tbsp avocado or coconut oil
- 1 medium white or yellow onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
- Himalayan salt + black pepper
- 1 zucchini, chopped
- 1 jalapeño, minced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 Tbsp chili powder
- 2 Tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes
- 3 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 3/4 cup vegetable broth (plus more as needed)
- 3/4 cup dry red lentils, thoroughly rinsed in cold water + drained
- 1 15-ounce can black beans (slightly drained)
- 1 Tbsp coconut sugar
- Large pinch of cinnamon
- 1 15-ounce can corn, drained
- For serving (optional): fresh chopped cilantro, diced avocado, lime wedges
DIRECTIONS
- Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add oil, onion, and bell peppers. Season with a healthy pinch each salt and pepper and stir. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add zucchini, jalapeño and garlic. Add chili powder, cumin, paprika, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and vegetable broth, and stir to combine. Bring to a low boil over medium high heat.
- Once boiling, add lentils and reduce heat to medium-low or low, so it’s at a gentle simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, until lentils are mostly tender. As it’s cooking you may need to add more vegetable broth if the mixture is looking too dry.
- Next add black beans, coconut sugar, and cinnamon, and stir to combine.
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce to low heat, add corn, cover, and gently simmer for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Serve as is, or garnished with fresh jalapeño, cilantro, red onion, and/or avocado (optional).
Green Bean “Fries”
serves 4
INGREDIENTS
- 1 lb fresh green beans
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp Himalayan salt + black pepper
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 450ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Add the green beans, oil, and spices to a large mixing bowl, and toss to coat. Spread the green beans out on the lined baking sheet in a single layer, and transfer into the oven.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until they look dark & crispy around the edges.
- Turn on the broiler at the end for a few short minutes to make them extra crispy.
Jalapeno Cilantro Turkey Meatballs
serves 4
INGREDIENTS
- 1 pound organic ground turkey
- 1 egg
- 1/2 jalapeño pepper, minced
- 1 medium shallot, peeled and minced
- zest and of one lime and 2 tsp lime juice
- 4 Tbsp chopped cilantro
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp Himalayan salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine turkey, egg, jalapeno, shallot, lime, cilantro, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper, and use hands to combine well.
- Using a heaping tablespoon, form meatballs and place evenly spaced on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the centers reach 165°F.
AND some ideas for those of you that don’t want to make a single thing…
Chips + crackers: Siete chips, Flackers, Mary’s Gone Crackers, Simple Mills Crackers, Siete Tortillasand Brad’s Raw Kale Chips
Dippers: Veggie sticks – carrots, raw green beans, celery, bell pepper strips, cucumber slices, jicama (my fav!)
Dips: Hope hummus, Engine 2 Hummus, Siete Queso, pre-made guacamole*, pre-made salsa*
Others: mixed nuts, seaweed snacks
*check the ingredients for added dairy and preservatives
**check the ingredients for added sugar and preservatives, and try to go organic
