Tia Today: Super Bowl party foods for fitness

By Tia Nielsen

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Sunday is the Super Bowl, a time for gridiron rivalries matched by human revelries all the while eyeing the battle on television. This festive, food-laden time can be a conundrum for the fitness-minded soul. What can you eat in good conscience? Well, probably not buffalo wings slathered in barbeque sauce. Heavy-duty guacamole might be a problem too. But never fear! There are delectable solutions. I came up with seven foods that have hearty flavor, are fun to eat and won’t earn you the label of party-pooper. 1 Baked chicken wings dipped in salsa (Plain yogurt is a second option for a tangy dip.); 2 Skinless chicken breast strips cooked in olive oil seasoned with lemon juice and herbs (eat them like fries); 3 Modest amounts of almonds, walnuts, peanuts or cashews — preferably raw for the full flavor of the nut; 4 Oatmeal raisin cookies (reduce the sugar by 20 percent in your recipe — the raisins will make up for it); 5 Sugar-free chocolate pudding topped with fat free whipped cream; 6 Yogurt topped with fresh fruit (yes, “lite” yogurt); 7 Guacamole dip made half with avocados and half with cooked frozen peas, mashed. A few light corn tortilla chips give the dip a reason to be — a divine partnership. As far as beverages go, I am into coffee. Steaming black gold. Ahh! No calories to speak of and quite invigorating. For those of you who go for brew, I can’t help you there except to say, read the label. I’ve lost interest in drinking my calories. So, we have here meat, dairy, chips, nuts, salsa (its own category) and sweets. What have we been deprived of? No doubt you can dream up other creations that are tasty and barely glycemic. Have a Super Bowl of food on Sunday. On Monday you’ll be a champion no matter who wins the big game.

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