Healthy Recipes for Football’s Biggest Game

Football’s biggest night is almost here! Regardless if you’re watching for the teams or just the halftime show, over one hundred million people will tune in for football’s championship game this year.

If your heading to a party for the big game, you might be worried about unhealthy foods you’ll encounter there. However, the good news is that you can still enjoy staple party foods without straying too far from your healthy diet.

Check out these healthier takes on game day food favorites.

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

6 cups of fresh cauliflower florets
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon melted butter
¾ cup hot sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Prepare baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.

Combine garlic powder, melted butter, hot sauce, salt and pepper in a bowl to create the buffalo sauce. In a gallon-size plastic bag add in cauliflower and pour in buffalo sauce. Shake until each piece of cauliflower is fully coated.

Spread coated cauliflower evenly on the baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve with ranch or blue cheese dressing if desired.

Bell Pepper Nacho Boats

1 pound ground turkey
3 bell peppers
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
¾ cup salsa
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon salt

Preheat your oven for 375 degrees. Clean out insides of bell peppers by slicing them in half vertically and using a spoon to remove the seeds. Then slice each half into 3 vertical pieces. Set aside.

Over a medium-high heat, cook the ground turkey until it is no longer pink. Drain fat out of the pan.

In a bowl, combine cooked turkey with the chili powder, cumin, pepper, salt and salsa. Grab your bell pepper slices and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet skin down. Distribute the mixture evenly on each bell pepper slice. Top with shredded cheese.

Cook for 10 minutes. Serve with fat-free Greek yogurt and avocado slices if desired.

Zucchini Pizza Bites

3 zucchinis
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/3 cup marinara sauce
½ cup shredded mozzarella
¼ cup pepperoni minis
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to a broil. Cut zucchinis into 1/4-inch rounds and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil at medium-high heat. Add in zucchini rounds in batches, cook on each side until golden, about 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Place cooked zucchini rounds on a large baking sheet. Top each with marinara sauce, shredded mozzarella and pepperoni minis. Place in oven and cook until cheese has melted, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and serve immediately.

Looking to implement more healthy eating habits? Learn more about the MyPlate dietary guidelines.