Super Healthy Appetizers for the Super Bowl!

IT IS SUPER BOWL WEEKEND AND I LOVE APPITIZERS!!!! Not only am I thrilled that our Denver Broncos made it to the Super Bowl and I will be cheering like a CRAZY lady for them I absolutely love munching on yummy snacks with all my friends while watching football. However, I don’t want to completely ruin how hard I have been working at eating healthy and working out regularly. So I am going to compromise and I am planning to bring some healthy snacks to the party. This way I can still have some junk food but I will have the option of healthy after I snack a little on the junk. Also, be careful not to drink your calories. Beer and other alcoholic beverages contain ridiculous calories so be careful. Here are the healthy snacks that I am planning to make for the Super Bowl.

No-Bake Energy Bites
Combine 1 cup rolled oats, 1/2 cup peanut butter, 1/3 cup honey, 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes, 1/2 cup ground flaxseed, 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, and 1 teaspoon vanilla in a mixing bowl. Chill 30 minutes, then roll into balls. Store in an airtight container in the fridge up to a week.

Vegetable Quesadillas with Fresh Salsa

• 4 medium plum tomatoes, diced
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 can (15 ounces) low-sodium red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 tablespoon chopped chipotle chilies in adobo
• 4 fat-free 8-inch flour (or whole-wheat) tortillas
• 1 avocado, thinly sliced
• 4 cups baby spinach
• 1 cup reduced-fat shredded cheddar

Preparation
In a bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, cilantro, juice, cumin and salt. In a second bowl, mash beans; stir in chipotle. Working one at a time, top half of each tortilla with 1/4 avocado slices, 1/4 bean mixture, 1 cup spinach and 4 tablespoons cheese; fold in half. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add 1 quesadilla and cook, flipping once, until both sides are brown and crispy, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining quesadillas. Let cool slightly; cut each quesadilla into 3 wedges; serve with tomato salsa.

80 Calorie Guacamole

• 2 ripe avocados, peeled and pitted
• 1 medium lime, juiced
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1 small clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeño pepper

Preparation
1. Place the avocados and lime in a medium bowl, and lightly mash with a fork. Stir in the remaining ingredients.
2. Serve immediately or cover and chill for up to 3 hours.
Eat it with veggies instead of chips.

Sweet Potato Chips

• 2 medium sized Sweet potatoes (makes approximately 40 -45 chips each)
• Oil of your choice (we have Extra Virgin Olive Oil light in our oil pump.)
• Garlic and Seasoned salt.

Preparation
After you’ve scrubbed the potatoes, carefully slice them as thin as you can. (We leave the skin on). Spray your cooking sheet very lightly. Lay the chips out over lapping slightly. They do shrink as they bake. Spray a light mist of oil over them. This will help the seasoning to stick. (You can use a basting brush and brush the oil on if you don’t have a pump.) Sprinkle the garlic powder and seasoned salt. Put into your preheated 250 degree oven. Bake at 250 for 1 hour. Pull the sheets out and flip your chips over. Return them to the oven for additional 30 minutes. Check your chips. The thinner sliced ones will bake quicker. If they start turning brown, pull those out. Let them cool.
Tip: You may need to leave the thicker sliced for another 15 minutes.

OK Maybe I won’t bring all of this or maybe I will. Other really quick options are veggies such as edamame (that would be fun) or fruit. Whatever you eat or drink do it in moderation and remember TO CHEER LOUD FOR OUR DENVER BRONCOS!!!!