Football season is right around the corner, y'all! And you know what that means...football parties, adult beverages, and FOOD!
We all know we can get a little out of hand when it comes to snacking at these gatherings. I mean, who can resist a buffet of food laid out on the table for four-plus hours?? But trust me, all of those empty calories and greasy foods won't do your waistline (or your intestines) any favors!
I've been challenged by one of my fellow fit-mommies, Christina, to clean up the traditional football party fare, so here are some recipes that not only help you keep your own eating in check, but may also be a conversation starter to help change someone else's view on clean-eating!
Buffalo Chicken Dip:
Author: Jayme Williams
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 15 min
Total Time: 20 min
3 large chicken breasts, boiled and shredded (my Clean Crockpot Chicken works great for this!)
1 (8 oz) package Organic Valley Cream Cheese (this brand is all natural)
1/8 cup hot sauce
1 cup President's reduced fat, crumbled feta cheese (or goat cheese would work well in this, too)
In a saucepan, melt the cream cheese over medium heat until nice and creamy. Add the chicken and hot sauce and stir to combine. Pour into an oven-safe dish and sprinkle with crumbled cheese. Cook at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until bubbly.
Serving suggestion: Serve this dip up with some all natural pita chips, veggie chips (such as Terra or Eat Smart), veggie sticks (carrots, celery, etc.), or even clean tortilla chips (such as Garden of Eatin').
Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Author: Jayme Williams, adapted from Food.com
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 20-30 min
Total Time: 30-40 min
2 cups parmesan cheese, grated (try to get a fresh block and grate it yourself to avoid preservatives and other additives)
1 (10 oz) box frozen spinach, thawed and drained well
1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
2/3 cup Fage fat free, plain greek yogurt
1 cup Organic Valley cream cheese
1/3 cup Follow Your Heart vegannaise (this is a mayonnaise-alternative that is all natural and actually GOOD for you!)
2 tsp garlic, minced
Mix together parmesan cheese, spinach, and artichoke hearts. Combine all other ingredients and mix into spinach mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes (or until bubbly).
Serving Suggestion: You can serve this dip with any of the above mentioned "vehicles"!
Taco Dip
Author: Jayme Williams, adapted from my Mom's recipe
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: none
Total Time: 15 min
1 lb all natural ground turkey, browned and drained
1 can organic pinto beans, drained and blended in food processor (or left whole, if you'd like)
1 cup Fage fat free, plain greek yogurt
1 cup thinly sliced romaine lettuce
1 cup diced tomatoes
1/2 cup black olives
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 cup all natural, shredded cheddar cheese
Spice Mixture:
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground red pepper (optional, if you like a little heat)
Add all spices to a small bowl and stir to combine. Mix in greek yogurt and pinto beans and mix well. In a large serving dish, layer ground turkey, yogurt/bean mixture, lettuce, tomatoes, green onions, black olives, and cheese.
Serving Suggestion: This yummo dip goes great with those clean tortilla chips from Garden of Eatin' (I buy mine at Publix)!
Don't those all sound dip-tastic?! You could also whip up a batch of my Clean Turkey Meatballs, pour a little Annie's all natural BBQ sauce over them, and serve them with toothpicks. Yum!
In case you want a little more variety, here are a few other favorites of mine from other bloggers:
Copycat Chik-Fil-A Nuggets from Supergluemom.com
Double Dark Chocolate Brownie Cookies (with Avocado) from Laurendamarie.com
Paleo Spiced Nuts from Elanaspantry.com
Now, I'm sure with all of these fab recipes to choose from, your guests can find something to snack on, right? But what about to drink?? Here are a couple of semi-clean (as clean as you can get with alcohol in them, anyway) beverage options:
Hot Mama Margarita
Author: Jayme Williams
Prep Time: 3 minutes
Serves: 1
1 cup fresh lime juice
1 oz silver tequila
1 Tbsp Wholesome Sweeteners organic agave nectar
Sea salt, for rim of glass
Add the first three ingredients to your shaker and shake it, shake it, shake it (my daughter loves it when I say that while shaking my protein shake every morning)! Pour into a salt-rimmed glass filled with ice, or blend with ice if you prefer it frozen.
*I must warn you: because this drink doesn't contain that super duper sweet, pre-made margarita mix, it's going to taste tart and perhaps a little strong. Remember that it contains only 130 calories as opposed to the whopping 400 in an 8 oz classic margarita. So get to sippin' and enjoy those clean calories!
Berry Yummy Cocktail
Author: Jayme Williams
Prep Time: 5 min
Serves: 1
1 oz Bacardi Rum
1/2 cup organic frozen mixed berries
3 oz all natural pineapple (or apple) juice
1 cup ice
Add all ingredients to a blender and puree that puppy up! Pour into a glass and add a straw and you're good to go! If you don't like frozen drinks, you could always just shake the pineapple juice and rum together and pour over ice!
As with everything, moderation is key! Don't go hog wild on the adult beverages, because then you'll be negating all of those clean snacks you just ate! I usually allow myself one to two drinky-poos when we're out with friends or at a party, but those occasions are few and far between. If you're planning on attending football parties every single weekend, you might want to stick to a two-drink maximum and then avoid alcohol for the rest of the week. Be kind to your body and it will be kind to you!
I hope you guys enjoy these recipes! Happy football-watching and...
...GO GATORS! (Sorry, had to! Hahaha!)