All but two football teams have now been eliminated from the NFL playoffs. That can only mean one thing: it’s almost time for the big Super Bowl party! That’s the day when many Americans consume food and beverages as if they were 300-lb. defensive linemen, indulging in all manner of junk food and calorie-laden snacks.
Celebrity Chef Phillip Andriano offers up a different game plan for Big Sunday: his party food ideas are built around tasty-but-healthy snacks that won’t derail those ‘I’m gonna eat better’ New Year’s resolutions you committed to just a few weeks ago.
Chef to the Stars
Chef Phil, Corporate Chef for Chef’s Diet, a leading meal delivery service provider, has a star-studded list of clients, including Kevin Costner, Liza Minnelli, Jenny McCarthy and Ivanka Trump. His organization also has an NFL connection, having provided balanced meals for many New York Jets players, as well as everyday folks who want to lose or manage their weight.
Super Bowl snacks don’t have to be super fattening, according to the chef. In the same way a football team needs a balanced attack of run and pass, a smart game-day snacking plan should call for balance as well, he says. ‘Our program is a very natural way of eating—calling for a balanced diet of 40% carbohydrates, 30% protein, and 30% good fats,” he says.
Super Smart Recipes
Chef Phil’s Fat Free Spinach and Yogurt Dip is a good example of smarter snacking, he says. It replaces most of the sour cream with yogurt, which, he notes, is a low-fat, high-protein choice. ‘I think it tastes better than the usual sour cream version,’ he says. To make it even healthier, Chef Phil suggests using whole grain pita wedges instead of potato chips for dipping.
You might also want to try his recipes for better-for-you variations of Super Bowl Nachos and Chili Tostada.
To sum up the chef’s outlook on food and diet, he quotes the ancient philosopher Hippocrates: ‘Let food be your medicine and let medicine be your food.’ Good words to live by if you want to have a flat stomach to go with your flat screen TV after the Super Bowl feast.
This information is provided as a feature for those interested in lower calorie options, and does not constitute an endorsement of any diet plan by The Food Channel.
