Tuesday, January 24, 2024

Healthy Super Bowl Treats

 

Super Bowl Food

Choose Healthy Super Bowl Foods

Healthy Super Bowl Food

 

Top 10 Most Popular Super Bowl Foods and What Their Nutrition Labels Really Say About Them

The Super Bowl is an eating event for millions of Americans, with parties across the country serving up snacks that are often grease laden and artery clogging. The food labels of the 10 most popular Super Bowl snacks can help you decide which Super Bowl foods to serve and which to skip.

 

 

1. Chicken Wings
According to the National Chicken Council, five percent of all the chicken wings eaten in the United States over a year are eaten during the Super Bowl. Generally, wings are fried and drenched in sauces, as well as dipped in fat laden dressings. This makes them a bad nutritional choice at an average of 100 calories per wing, not including the dipping sauce.

 

2. Vegetables and Dip
The NPD Group, a market research company, has found that the most popular snack during the Super Bowl in recent times has been vegetables and dip. While vegetables are certainly a healthy snack, keeping this snack healthy depends on the dip. Fat free alternatives or yogurt-based dips make great healthy substitutions over ranch and blue cheese dips.

 

3. Pizza
Super Bowl Sunday is the busiest day of the year for pizza delivery, with popular chains routinely reporting record daily sales. The food labels on pizza vary widely, with pizzas including meat and extra cheese racking up the most calories and fat. Thin crust pizzas with a light layer of cheese can be included in a healthy Super Bowl menu.

 

4. Potato Chips
Potato chips weigh 150 calories per ounce, with about 100 of these calories coming from fat. Although they’re not the best choice nutritionally, choosing a brand that salts their chips lightly and uses healthy oil can make chips a reasonable snack in moderation. Look at food labels for chips cooked in olive, safflower, or canola oil.

 

5. Sandwiches
Large sandwiches, often made with salami, cheese, mayonnaise, and other high fat foods, are popular during the Super Bowl. Cheese and cured meats are usually high in saturated fat, but alternatives can be used to make sandwiches healthier. Opt for lean turkey, ham, and low fat cheeses while skipping the mayo.

 

6. Nuts
Peanuts and pistachios are the two most popular nuts served during the Super Bowl. Food labels show that these nuts are high in fat, but most is monounsaturated fat, which is a healthy type of fat. Choose roasted nuts with no salt added, as honey roasted varieties have about four times as much sugar as plain varieties.

 

7. Chili
Chili is a great cold weather food, making it ideal for Super Bowl Sunday. Ground beef versions of chili have nearly 300 calories per cup, with up to 15 grams of fat per cup. Healthier versions can be made by skipping the meat or substituting boneless, skinless chicken breast or lean ground turkey for the ground beef.

 

8. Homemade Dips
Dips are popular items for potlucks during the Super Bowl. The most popular dip during the Super Bowl is seven layer dip, which is full of cheese, beef, and sour cream and packs in hundreds of calories per serving. A better choice is a bean dip made with reduced fat cream cheese.

 

9. Cheese and Crackers
This is a classic party combination that often shows up at get-togethers during the big game. Hard cheeses such as cheddar typically contain around 110 calories per ounce, with about half of those calories coming from saturated fat. Cheeses made with two percent milk paired with whole grain crackers lighten this snack up.

 

10. Salsa and Chips
Salsa is a great alternative to heavy dips, with plenty of vegetables and only about 20 calories per serving. Baked tortilla chips can accompany this healthy dip, making it one of the best choices during the Super Bowl. Fresh or homemade salsas are the healthiest and best tasting choices.

 

 

There are plenty of foods served during the Super Bowl that can expand your waistline, but choosing wisely and making healthy substitutions will keep your party fun without the guilt of eating poorly.

 

Tuesday, January 24, 2024

Tips to a Better Cookie

Better Cookies

Tips for Better Cookies

 

Have you ever wanted to make the perfect cookies? I know that I am constantly trying to get the best cookies that I can. I am usually not successful, but when I am, I am very glad that I worked so hard to get my perfect cookies. For me, when I get perfect cookies, my friends always want more of my cookies. When I am unsuccessful, no one really wants my cookies. And who could blame them? I have been striving to make a perfect cookie for as long as I can remember, and I think that I have found the secrets to success. Here are 8 rules to help you make the perfect cookie. 

 

1. Use the right amount of flour
Knowing how much flour is in a recipe is very important to baking cookies. You need to make sure that you use just the right amount. If you use too much, your cookies will be dry and very tough. If you don’t use enough, well, your cookies will be sad little lumps.

 

2. Cool the dough
I bet you’ve never heard of this little trick. If you chill the dough before you bake it, the dough will be softer and will keep it’s shape. This is perfect if you want to get the best shape for your cookies. You only have to wait for 15 minutes for the dough to be completely cooled. 

 

3. Use fresh ingredients
Make sure that all the stuff that you use for your cookies hasn’t expired. A lot of people don’t think to check their ingredients, but, it’s a pretty good idea to make sure that your ingredients haven’t expired. It will make your cookies taste a lot better. 

 

4. Soften butter right
Many people didn’t know that if you heat your butter in the microwave, it’s a good indication that your cookies won’t be too good. It’s better for the cookies (and you) if you soften your cookies by letting butter warm at room temperature. 

 

5. Under bake the cookies
If you want cookies that are tasty and moist, take your cookies 2-3 minutes before they should be done. Everyone will wonder how your cookies are so soft. You don’t have to tell them the secret though!

 

6. Extra vanilla
Adding more vanilla will make your cookies even better than you could think! Don’t worry, it won’t take away from the flavor of the cookies, it will just make it even better!

 

7. Add milk
You wouldn’t expect this, but if you add a tablespoon of milk to your cookie dough, it will make your cookies very soft! People won’t be able to stay away from them!

 

8. Use the right pan
Make sure to use the right pan to bake your cookies. The right pan will allow your cookies to cook completely and let them stay soft and yummy!

 

 

About the Author
Neltje Maynez is a writer for MyCollegesandCareers.com. My Colleges and Careers  is a great site for you if you have decided that you want to enroll in the best online master’s degree programs for you.