Super Bowl Snacks with a Healthy Texas Olive Oil Twist

Every year, millions of Americans (and not only!) gather around their TV sets to watch the Super Bowl. No wonder it’s the most-watched program on television in our country! But for most of us, the event starts long before we grab the remote to turn the TV on. Some Super Bowl Sunday traditions are unique to every NFL fan; some you will find in every household and food is high up on that list. So let’s have a look at how (and why) you can add Texas olive oil to your Super Bowl snacks this year!

The Texas Olive Oil Twist

“Eat healthier” is one of the most common New Year resolutions. After the bountiful holiday meals, a balanced diet is just what your body needs and it will be grateful for your resolution. Eating healthy will be easy in January but February comes with a set of challenges; your body has recovered, the cravings start kicking in, and Super Bowl Sunday is just a few days away.

Super Bowl snacks are a key part of the experience; watching the game without snacks is like watching a game without quarterbacks. However, there are ways to enjoy the full Super Bowl experience while also keeping your New Year’s resolution to eat healthily. A quick, easy and tasty way to do so is to swap certain oils and fats for the healthier olive oil. Other swaps you can make are baking instead of frying, and eating raw instead of cooked where possible.

The Reinvented Super Bowl Snacks

Buffalo wings are a Super Bowl staple and one of the nation’s favorite snacks during the big game. To make a healthier version of this dish, use the heart-friendly, antioxidant-packed olive oil instead of butter for coating the meat; refrigerate for about an hour until the flour coating is firm. Then, opt for baking instead of frying the wings.

No chicken wings dish is complete without dips (did someone say garlic lovers aioli?). While the hot sauce is a must-have in the Super Bowl spread, there are a few other tasty and healthy dips you can try this year. Quickly whip up a fresh and herby sauce by mixing some yogurt and extra virgin olive oil with lemon juice, and some olive oil herb dip. This dip will pair amazingly well not just with the Buffalo wings, but also with some veggie sticks (think carrots, cucumbers, or celery) or tortilla chips.

And speaking of tortilla chips, let’s not forget about another Super Bowl spread essential: nachos. For a healthy version, make your own chips; use Texas olive oil to brush the tortillas before you cut and put them in the oven for 10 minutes. The same ingredient can join the tomatoes, onion, garlic, lime juice in the salsa instead of its sunflower or canola counterpart. Experiment with using mozzarella instead of cheddar and half-fat crème fraîche instead of sour cream - this will help reduce the saturated fats in the dish.