The Super Bowl is arguably the largest and most-popular sporting event in North America; the 2011 Super Bowl set TV ratings records, with more than 111 million viewers in the United States tuning into the game. Many of the people who watch the game each year do so at Super Bowl parties, which usually feature a variety of food and snacks to eat during the event. Although snack food, such as chips and pretzels, remain popular choices, there are a variety of Super Bowl party foods that are low in carbohydrates.
Chicken Wings
If they're unbreaded, chicken wings are a no-carb favorite that will be a hit at any Super Bowl party, and there are numerous variations you can offer guests. The website Food.com offers more than 100 Super Bowl chicken-wing recipes. These range from "aloha wings," with a sweet pineapple-orange sauce, to the "foolproof" recipe for baked Buffalo wings popularized by Food Network television host Alton Brown on his series "Good Eats."
Chili
According to Diane Van, manager of the Meat and Poultry Hotline of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, chili is a popular choice for Super Bowl parties, and many party hosts prepare for the game by cooking up their own unique chili recipe, such as turkey chili, beef chili or vegetarian chili. By limiting ingredients to meat and vegetables, you can ensure your chili is low in carbohydrates. Van recommends that Super Bowl party hosts who make chili the night before the big game store chili in shallow containers that will allow it to chill quickly in the fridge. In addition, she cautions that any cooked food must be refrigerated within two hours after cooking is completed to ensure it remains free of foodborne bacteria.
Ribs
Although your vegetarian guests may not approve, omnivorous football fans will find beef or pork ribs to be delicious finger foods that are ideal to eat while watching the game. The website of men's magazine "Esquire" features a recipe for St. Louis pork ribs that, since they're entirely meat, have zero carbohydrates. The recipe, provided by Manhattan chef Brian Bistrong, outlines his technique to produce "moist, melt-off-the-bone spareribs that are delicious and require minimal effort." These ribs, Bistrong points out, are easy to serve, requiring no knives or forks, although you'll want to have plenty of napkins on hand.
Spiced Nuts
Nuts are a popular low-carb snack, and the website of the Food Network serves up a savory, spicy recipe from TV chef Emeril Lagasse. Originally appearing in Lagasse's 2004 cookbook "Emeril's Potluck," the recipe combines mixed, unsalted nuts — such as walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts and almonds — with butter, brown sugar and spices, like cumin, cinnamon and cayenne pepper. By making your own spiced nuts, guests at your Super Bowl party will likely enjoy this low-carbohydrate treat far more than they would a store-bought variety.
References
- Reuters; Super Bowl Packs in Record U.S. TV Viewer Total; Ben Klayman; Feb. 7, 2011
- FoodSafety.gov; Super Bowl, Slow Cookers, and Food Safety: An Unbeatable Team; Diane Van; Feb. 1, 2011
- Esquire.com; St. Louis Pork Ribs; Kevin McDonnell
- Food.com: Chicken Wings Super Bowl Recipes
- Food Network.com: Spiced Nuts
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