A-Z nutritious snacks Articles

The time is here! When we crank up the deep fryer and stock the beer fridge, it’s way too easy to load up on calories. It’s Super Bowltime. Did you know, on this one day alone, Americans consume an estimated 1.23 billion chicken wings, 49 million cases of beer, 14 million hamburgers, 69 million avocados, 11 million pounds of chips, 4 million pounds of pretzels, 3.8 million pounds of popcorn and 2.5 million pounds of nuts. Yes, it indeed would not be an all-American game and event if we didn’t eat and snack the entire time. While it's ok to indulge in moderation, there are healthy snacks and swaps you can do to ensure your superbowl festivities don't negatively impact your health.

What Are Some Healthy Superbowl Snacks & Recipes?

Easy, Healthy Recipes

Warm Spinach-Artichoke Dip

[Recipe from health.com]
Dips are sneaky. Sometimes they're healthy, but 90% of the time, if you're not carefully reading the ingredients, they're secretly packing on calories. Opt for a homemade dip, so you know exactly what's in it. This dip has a healthy dose of iron from the spinach and fibre and vitamins from the lentils. And instead of constantly dipping chips or crackers, try using celery or carrot sticks every so often. Mix all these ingredients below in a food processor and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Then serve.

• 1 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 can of lima beans, drained
• 1 cup light mayonnaise
• 1 stick of fat-free cream cheese
• 1 tsp Tabasco sauce
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp capers, drained
• 1/4 tsp dry mustard
• 1 can artichoke hearts, drained
• 1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry
• 3/4 shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup green onions, sliced
• 1 tbs lemon juice

Make Your Own Pizza

Ordering in is never a good choice for your health. Delivered pizzas come with a lot of grease, fatty meats and cheese with a side of high calorie dipping sauce. That doesn't exactly help your waistline when you're sitting on the couch eating a few slices, followed by an evening of continuous snacking. Instead, try making your own. Just remember to go heaviest on the veggies, and scale down the fats with healthier meats, like sliced ham, chicken or shrimp (instead of bacon or sausage) and use low-fat mozzarella as your cheese. Another cut back should be in the crust, either make your own, go with whole wheat and/or thin crust or try using a tortilla shell as a base, for a lighter option.

Healthy Burger Swap

[recipe from Sweet Treats]

Burgers are an easy go-to for game day, and it's no wonder! You can easily hold it in one hand and have an ice-cold beverage in the other. But big beefy burgers not only blow the proper meat proportions right out the window, once you add in the cheese, bacon and mayo, it can also be more of a threat to your health (especially if too many are consumed). We suggest passing by the beef aisle and instead making a stop in front of the ground turkey. It's a much leaner meat, and if you get creative with your toppings, you won't even realize you're sinking your teeth into a healthier main.

• 1 pound 94% lean ground turkey
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 shredded carrots
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• Whole wheat buns
• For more directions on how to make the
• Thai sauce and slaw that goes on top,
• Check it out here.

Health Nut Chilli

[Recipe from Eat Yourself Skinny]

Sinking your spoon into a bowl full of chilli this Sunday is actually a wise decision. Because it's made up of mostly vegetables, beans (fibre) and meat (protein), you're getting a hearty dish that will keep you fuller, longer. While this probably won't deter us from snacking, it's worth a shot. Have a lot of people coming over for the game? No problem. It's easy to make, it feeds a large number of people, and it's budget-friendly. Plus, using ground lean turkey or chicken instead of beef cuts calories, making extra room for our next recipe! Mmmm...

2lbs lean ground turkey

• 1 onion, chopped
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp oil (olive, coconut, etc.)
• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• 1 can petite diced tomatoes
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp hot sauce, or however hot you want it!
• 1 can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 bell peppers, diced
• 2 jalapenos, chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
• Pepper to taste
• 3 tbsp chilli powder
• 2 tsp oregano
• 1/8 cayenne pepper

In a large pan, heat up oil of your choice and sauté onions and garlic. After a few minutes, add in ground turkey and cook until crumbled and brown, draining excess liquid as necessary. Add all of the remaining ingredients, along with the cooked turkey into a crock-pot or pot and cook on medium heat for an hour.

Skinny Football Brownies

[recipe from Fit Sugar]
After all the snacking on savoury and salty goods, you're going to have to satisfy your sweet tooth. Luckily, we have an alternative to cupcakes covered with loads of icing in your team colours: brownies! But these aren't just any brownie... while they still have some chocolate in them, they actually have 90% healthier ingredients than not. We're not saying you can have the whole pan to yourself, but the cacao powder will give you significant cardiovascular health benefits. Studies have even shown that it can reduce blood pressure, which is something you'll need help with if the games don't quite go your way!

• 3/4 cup of all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cacao powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2/3 cup coconut palm sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 egg whites
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp espresso
• 1/2 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 walnuts (optional)

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cacao, salt, and baking powder – set aside. In another bowl, mix together butter and sugar. Once mixed, add in eggs, egg whites, vanilla, and coffee. Slowly add the flour mixture, followed by the yogurt and mix until all ingredients are combined. Stir in the chocolate and walnuts [if using], the batter will be thick. Scoop into an 8-inch greased pan and cook at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Healthy Snacks For Game Time

Chips, But Make it Healthy

Let's stop the 11 million pound madness, and boycott eating potato chips this Super Bowl! Kale chips are a very healthy alternative, and we honestly believe you won't be able to tell the difference in taste. Kale is high in iron, vitamin K, filled with antioxidants and is high in fibre, low in calories, with zero fat – yes, you read that right. These chips have NO fat. They're also very versatile and can be made to satisfy any sweet, spicy or just plain salty craving.

• 1 bunch of Kale
• 1 tbsp oil (grapeseed, coconut, olive, etc.)
• 1 tsp Himalayan Salt

Popcorn, A Great Alternative to Chips

Believe it or not, popcorn is a great snack to munch on while suffering from stress-induced eating – so keep it handy when your team is down a touchdown with only minutes left in the 4th. Popcorn is a high-volume snack, too, but the best thing is, it's low in calories – when you skip the butter. In fact, that's the only time it is considered unhealthy. Adding up the sodium and fat content from pre-packaged or pre-made popcorn is downright scary. A sure-fire way to avoid that this Sunday is to pop a fresh batch yourself and test out some of the seasonings listed below.

1 tbsp of coconut oil (in place of butter)
Topping of your choice: Parmesan cheese, Garlic Powder, Paprika, Oregano, Himalayan Salt, Cinnamon, Cacao Powder, Any Spices/Herbs, Herbamare ...the list is endless.

Just because we don't have it listed above doesn't mean it's a no-go for the game. Here are some other healthy snacks that deserve recognition:

• Guacamole Dip (avocados are high in healthy fats, when consumed in moderation)
• Fruit and Dip
• Veggies and Dip
• BLT Bites (Check them out here!)
• Bean Salsa (Check them out here!)
• Peanut Butter and Banana Quesadillas

With the rise in nut allergies, nuts have received a bad rap for being allergenic. Taking another look at the nutritional value of nuts, like walnuts, we see that for those who are not allergic to them, they offer a myriad of benefits. Nuts offer a rich source of nutrients and culinary versatility to be added to salads, nut butters, shakes and your favourite yogurt. 

Let's explore the benefits of walnuts and how they can support your health. 

What Are Walnuts?

Walnuts are round, single-seeded stone fruits produced by the Walnut tree. They are considered a tree nut, and the species commonly used for food is called Juglans Regia. Medicinally, Juglans Nigra, called /articles/supplements/black-walnut/, is used for intestinal worms and parasites.

The seed kernels of Walnuts are covered by a brown seed coat which contains an abundance of /articles/supplements/antioxidants/. This protects the healthy oils in the nut from oxidative damage and rancidity from oxygen exposure.

Last year, the world produced over 2.55 million metric tonnes of Walnuts. China is the largest producer, followed by Iran, the United States and Turkey.

How Many Walnuts Can I Eat Per Day?

It is used mainly for its healthy fats and /articles/supplements/antioxidants/, and they're a great source of healthy vegetarian protein as well.

Eating just 7 whole foods per day will give you a nutrient dense and impactful food. This would provide you with more than 100% of your daily recommended value of plant-based Omega-3 fatty acids. Walnuts have valuable minerals too, like Molybdenum, Copper, and Manganese.

Health Benefits of Walnuts

It is high in Amino /articles/supplements/arginine/, an amino acid which is great for your cardiovascular health. They also have /articles/supplements/ala-omega-3/which decreases inflammation in the vascular system and reduces LDL, the type of cholesterol which can build up in your arteries, contributing to stroke and heart attacks.

Antioxidant Benefits of Walnuts

It contains strong antioxidants, namely quinone Juglone, the tannin Tellimagrandin, and the flavonol Morin. These antioxidants protect your arteries and the cholesterol in your blood from oxidizing and causing damage. So if you have cardiovascular disease or have a family history of cardiovascular disease, you may want to add Walnuts to your diet.

Great for Brain Health

The antioxidants in Walnuts further protect your brain cells from damage. Other nutrients in it, including Omega 3 fats, which protect your brain and nervous system, are /articles/supplements/meltatonin/, Folate, and /articles/supplements/supplement-articles-vitamin-e/.

Diabetes Support

/articles/health-concerns/diabetes/, who are more susceptible to cardiovascular damage, will especially benefit from eating Walnuts daily. In addition, studies show that Walnuts significantly reduce fasting insulin levels. And the healthy fats and protein in Walnuts curb your appetite, which helps you lose weight – again, healthy for those with cardiovascular disease and Diabetes.

Walnuts Prostate Benefits

Interestingly, animal studies show that it protects your cells from unwanted cellular changes. Studies show that in mice with unhealthy prostate cell growth slowed by 30-40%, and in those with other unhealthy cell growth slowed by 50%. Furthermore, walnuts were shown to cut this risk by 50%.

How To Add Walnuts To My Diet

It can be used in a variety of ways in your diet.

Because their oils are fragile, they are best bought raw, kept in the fridge, and not heated. Try Walnuts on salads, in yogurt, or sprinkled on rice or quinoa. Also, you can make Walnut Crunch Apple Wedges.

Another great way to use them is to make a blend with Brewer's yeast, garlic and olive oil. This blend is great mixed into a kale salad with cranberries and lemon.

Try Walnut butter on rice cakes with a piece of fruit for a nutritious and quick snack. Or, if you are in a rush, just a handful will do.

Shopping For Quality Walnuts

One of the freshest ways of eating it is straight from the shell. Time-consuming but fun for an evening, visiting with family and friends.

Otherwise, buy fresh hulled raw Walnuts. Roasting can turn the fragile oils in Walnuts rancid. Once rancid, the oils can cause damage to your cardiovascular system instead of keeping it healthy.

Fresh raw Walnuts should taste smooth, fatty, slightly nutty and fresh. If they have a sharp flavour or bitter taste, there is a good chance the fats have gone rancid. Even raw Walnuts kept cold can eventually go bad.

It is also healthier to buy Walnuts without salt. Many studies have shown salt intake to have negative health effects on blood pressure and swelling in the body. Although salt helps preserve nuts, buy fresh, unroasted Walnuts as a better choice.

Other Seed & Nut Considerations

It is tree nuts, and as such, they can be allergenic to some people. If you know or suspect you may have a tree nut allergy, you will want to avoid Walnuts.

If you are unsure, food allergy and sensitivity testing can be done through your ND or MD.

Alternatives to Walnuts are seeds like /articles/supplements/pumpkin-seeds/, /articles/supplements/supplement-articles-sesame-seeds/, /articles/supplements/chia/, and sunflower. Raw seeds can also provide essential Omega-3 fatty acids, minerals and antioxidants to benefit your health.