Healthy Living
Tricks for Delicious Game Day Snacking
The biggest football game of the year often comes with heavy apps, dips, and more. Follow the tricks below to fill up on game day favorites without exceeding your daily Budget:
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Start with salsa.
Spicy, fruit-flavored, or smoky salsas are all low in Points values. What’s more, certain fat-free varieties are considered ZeroPoint® foods.
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Go hot! Hot! Hot!
Dips made with spicy peppers like jalapenos or chili flakes may help you eat more slowly: You can’t take down a plate of nachos if your mouth is on fire.
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Prioritize protein.
Black bean dip and hummus both provide healthy fat, protein, and fiber—the ideal trifecta for staying satisfied through halftime.
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Swap out the heavy cream.
Cheese or cream-based dips can rack up the Points quickly, since they’re higher in saturated fat than veggie-based versions. Try swapping any sour cream or cheese-based recipe with plain low- or non-fat Greek yogurt, which packs a 20 grams of protein per ⅔ cup serving.
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DIY extra flavor.
If you’re building your own dip, you can amp up the flavor using mixed spices like Everything Bagel, chipotle, or adobe; add fresh herbs like scallions or cilantro; or sprinkle with sea salt.
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Do more with veggies.
Blending ZeroPoint veggies like cauliflower, eggplant, peppers, or edamame into creamy, yogurt-based dips adds loads of flavor and filling fiber. Plus, it increases the recipe volume without adding Points—meaning each serving will have fewer Points.
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Blend your guacamole.
To reduce the Points value of every serving, blend with non-fat, plain Greek yogurt, edamame, or salsa.
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Choose colorful corn chips.
Blue corn tortilla chips and other alternatives that list 100% stone-ground corn as the first ingredient on the package provide a little bit of protein and fiber.
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Try bean-based chips.
Ditch high-fat potato chips and snack on bean-based chip for a higher protein, higher fiber snack. Look for white beans, chickpeas, lentils, or black beans as the first ingredient.
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Make your own chips from 100% whole-wheat pita.
They can be cut into wedges pieces and baked until crisp. They’ll serve up fewer calories than store bought pita chips, which are typically fried.
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Make your own veggie fries or chips.
Start by prepping a batch of thinly sliced carrots, kale leaves, or sweet potatoes. Then drizzle with olive oil, add your favorite herbs and spices, and roast until the vegetables are crisp and dry.
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Stack your sub the smart way.
Giant subs tend to be a game-day staple. Get in on the action with these Points-saving swaps:
Stick to lean proteins like chicken or turkey breast.
- Veg out on toppings like lettuce, tomatoes, and onions, which bulk up your sandwich without contributing Points. Grilled extras like mushrooms, peppers, eggplant, and zucchini can make every bite even heartier.
- Add flavorful condiments like spicy mustard or a veggie-based spread such as roasted red pepper tapenade.
- Go open-faced. Serving sammies on just one piece of bread instead of two slashes the Points by halving your slice serving.
Jackie London is a registered dietitian (RD), certified dietitian nutritionist (CDN) and holds a bachelor of arts degree from Northwestern University and master of science degree in clinical nutrition from New York University. London is also the author of Dressing on the Side (and Other Diet Myths Debunked): 11 Science-Based Ways to Eat More, Stress Less, and Feel Great About Your Body, and previously served as Good Housekeeping’s nutrition director, where she oversaw all of the brand's nutrition-related content across platforms and evaluating products for the Good Housekeeping Seal and GH Nutritionist Approved Emblem. As a media spokesperson in nutrition and health, Jackie has appeared in various national media segments, including Today and Good Morning America, reporting on nutrition news and trends, myth-busting diet fads, and providing tangible strategies that are rooted in science but actionable in real life.
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