Healthy alternatives to two classic game-day snacks.
By Malia Bradshaw
Football season is in full swing. And we all know what that means: weekend after weekend spent on the couch, eating and drinking with the guys. Tasty snacks to accompany the rush and excitement of your team scoring a touchdown are often the most important parts of game day. But traditional bowl-game snacks may not be the healthiest way to usher in the year.
Natalie Slater, community manager and head of recipe development at Lifeway Foods, Inc., has created a way to transform your favorite game-day classics in to healthy alternatives, all while maintaining that flavorful indulgence we’ve grown to love. With the Super Bowl right around the corner, here are some of Slater’s game-day recipes so you can cheer for your favorite team in good health.
Game-Day Guacamole
Guacamole is a great crowd pleaser, and with the addition of kefir, it can be a healthy one as well. Serve with tortilla chips.
Ingredients:
4 ripe avocados
1/2 red onion, minced (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup Lifeway Low Fat Plain Kefir
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (to taste)
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 to 1 teaspoon chili powder (to taste)
1/2 ripe tomato, seeds and pulp removed, chopped
Directions:
Cut avocados in half and remove the pits. Scoop avocado out from peels and place in a mixing bowl. Using a fork, mash the avocados. Add the chopped onion, lime, salt, pepper and chili powder, and mash together. Keep tomatoes separate until ready to serve. Store in the refrigerator with plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent browning. Just before serving, mix in the chopped tomato.
Spinach Dip
Another classic game-day snack now has a kefir twist for added nutrition. This dish should be prepared one day ahead so the flavors can come together well. Serve with chips, fresh vegetables or bread.
Ingredients:
1 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 cups Lifeway Low Fat Plain Kefir (or Lifeway Greek Style Kefir)
1 package dry onion soup mix
1 4-ounce can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1/2 a 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 loaf round sourdough bread
Directions:
In a medium bowl, mix together mayo, kefir, dry soup mix, water chestnuts and chopped spinach. Chill in the refrigerator at least six hours or overnight. Remove the top of the sourdough bread and hollow it out. Fill with spinach dip and tear the bread from the inside into pieces for dipping.
Find more of Slater’s recipes here.
