How To Eat Healthier at a Super Bowl Party
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What an RDN Eats at a Super Bowl Party

By some accounts, people eat more at this annual event than they do on Thanksgiving. Here’s how to avoid going overboard, plus a recipe that’s healthier than hot wings (but just as tasty!).
What an RDN Eats at a Super Bowl Party
Nelea Reazanteva/iStock; Canva
By
for Everyday Dietitian
Updated on February 5, 2025
by
Everyday Health Blogs
I’ll be honest, I don’t like football — but I love the Super Bowl! Any excuse to gather with friends and family makes me happy, and I always look forward to the commercials, half-time show, and, of course, the food. Unfortunately, the types of food and the sheer volume of it at the typical Super Bowl party is overwhelming. Some polls suggest that fans may consume upwards of 3,500 calories in beer, chips, pizza, and other food at a Super Bowl spread.

 That’s almost twice the 2,000 calories a day recommended by the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Knowing this, I enter Super Bowl Sunday mindfully and still enjoy my favorite celebratory foods, but in moderation. If you’re trying to eat healthier, a Super Bowl party can be a bit of a challenge, though.

How to Avoid Overeating During the Super Bowl

You can and should enjoy the Super Bowl party without feeling guilty about your food choices, but balance is key! Here are my top tips for making good choices at your next Super Bowl party:

1. Don't Go Hungry

Eating a small, healthy snack or a healthy serving of fruits or vegetables before you go to the party can help curb your appetite and prevent you from overeating.

2. Dip Veggies, Not Chips

Vegetables are much lower-calorie than chips or crackers, and a great source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals, which means they’ll fill you up faster than processed snacks. Try cutting up carrots, celery, bell peppers, and cucumbers for dipping in hummus, salsa, or guacamole.

3. Be on Portion Patrol

The score isn’t the only thing you should keep track of on game day. It’s easy to get carried away when you’re at a party, but try to be mindful of how much you’re eating. Use a small plate and take small portions of the foods you want to try instead of mindlessly grazing.

4. Limit Your Alcohol Intake

Alcohol is high in calories and void of nutrients and can make you eat more than you would otherwise. Stick to one or two drinks to keep your calorie intake in check.

5. BYO

If you're worried about the food options at the party, bring your own healthy dish to share. This way, you’ll know there’s at least one healthy option you can enjoy. Some ideas include a big salad, quinoa bowl, or veggie platter. Or you can make healthier versions of classic game-day foods, like turkey chili or Buffalo cauliflower bites instead of wings. (Spoiler alert: recipe below!)

6. Enjoy Yourself!

Don’t forget the reason you came: The game (and for some, the commercials) and the company are the main events, not the food.

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Learn how to make your pizza nights healthier with these simple tips! Enjoy a tasty meal without the guilt.
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Chicken Wings Aren’t a Healthy Super Bowl Appetizer

Chicken wings are one of the most popular Super Bowl snacks. The National Chicken Council estimates Americans will eat more than 1.47 billion chicken wings at this year’s Super Bowl.

You may think, with the small amount of meat on them, how bad can they be? Well, wings are a triple threat because they’re usually deep fried and smothered in a sugary or sodium-laden sauce, which makes them a concentrated source of calories, saturated fats, and sodium. You’ll get 103 calories, 1.94 grams (g) of saturated fat, and 24.6 milligrams (mg) of sodium from one chicken wing that’s been cooked and fried in flour, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

 Eat six and you’ve reached your daily recommended limit for saturated fat.

 And that’s not including blue cheese or ranch dressing.

Going wing-free doesn’t have to mean going flavor-free, however! This simple baked Buffalo cauliflower recipe is a great compromise, and vegan-friendly, too. Happy snacking!

buffalo cauliflower
Nelea Reazanteva/iStock

Baked Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

These delightfully spicy cauliflower bites have all the fiery flavor of Buffalo chicken wings, but less than one-quarter of the calories, close to no saturated fat, and almost 6 g of fiber per serving. You just may swear off the real thing for good.

contains  Wheat
4.9 out of 22 reviews

SERVES

4

CALORIES PER SERVING

125

AUTHOR

Kelly Kennedy, RDN

PREP TIME

10 min

COOK TIME

35 min

TOTAL TIME

45 min

Ingredients

1 large head cauliflower, washed, dried, and cut into florets
½ cup flour
½ cup water
2½ tsp garlic powder, divided
¾ tsp paprika
¾ tsp ground cayenne pepper, divided
½ tsp kosher salt, divided
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp chili powder
¼ cup raw apple cider or white vinegar

Directions

1

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Place cauliflower florets in a large, gallon-size plastic storage bag.

2

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, water, 2 tsp garlic powder, paprika, ¼ tsp salt, and pepper. Pour the mixture into the bag of cauliflower, close the bag, and mix with your hands until cauliflower is evenly coated. Spread cauliflower on a prepared baking sheet in a single layer with space around each piece. Bake until just browned, about 20 to 25 minutes, flipping cauliflower with a spatula around halfway through.

3

In a small bowl, whisk together chili powder, ½ tsp cayenne pepper, ½ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp salt, and vinegar until completely smooth. Once cauliflower is done baking, brush with Buffalo sauce and return to the oven until the cauliflower is lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Serve with veggies and dressing, as desired.

Nutrition Facts

Amount per serving

calories

125

total fat

1g

saturated fat

0.4g

protein

6g

carbohydrates

25g

fiber

5.8g

sugar

4.3g

added sugar

0g

sodium

263mg

Tips

Short on time? Instead of making a sauce from spices and vinegar, you can use your favorite hot sauce instead. Just keep in mind that hot sauce is a high-sodium food, so keep it to a minimum.

TAGS:

Wheat, Appetizer, High-Fiber, Low-Fat, Vegetarian, Vegan, Mediterranean

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The Takeaway

  • Eating a healthy snack before the big game can help curb your appetite.
  • You can also fill your plate with low-calorie vegetables for dipping instead of chips.
  • Limit your alcohol intake to prevent extra calories.
  • If you’re unsure about snack options at the Super Bowl party, bringing your own healthy dish can ensure you eat something nutritious and can help prevent overindulgence.

Important: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not Everyday Health.

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Roxana Ehsani, RDN

Roxana Ehsani, RD

Medical Reviewer

Roxana Ehsani, RD, is a Miami-based licensed dietitian-nutritionist, board-certified specialist in sports dietetics, and media spokesperson, consultant, and content creator for food and nutrition brands. She is an adjunct instructor for sports nutrition at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg.

Ehsani appears as a food and nutrition expert for television stations across the nation and in national publications, including Runner's World, Women's Health, Glamour, and more, and is a contributing writer for EatingWell. She has a strong background in sports nutrition and has worked with professional, Olympic, collegiate, and high school teams and individual athletes, whom she sees through her private practice. 

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Kelly Kennedy, RDN, LDN

Author

Kelly Kennedy is a licensed dietitian-nutritionist with over 14 years of experience in digital media. She previously managed and oversaw nutrition content, recipe development, meal planning, and diet and nutrition coaching at Everyday Health. She developed and reviewed various meal plans, books, slideshows, and online tools, and oversaw the creation of more than 500 unique recipes. She received her bachelor's degree from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and a master's degree from the State University of New York College at Oneonta.

Kennedy enjoys anything that takes her outside, from gardening and playing in the yard with her kids to hiking and even feeding her pet chickens.

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Resources
  1. Gameday Guilt: How Much Food Do NFL Fans Consume During the Super Bowl? NJ.Bet. December 31, 2024.
  2. Calories on the Nutrition Facts Label. U.S Food and Drug Administration. March 5, 2024.
  3. Americans to Eat 1.47 Billion Chicken Wings for Super Bowl LIX. PR Newswire. January 30, 2025.
  4. Chicken, broilers or fryers, wing, meat and skin, cooked, fried, flour. U.S. Department of Agriculture. April 1, 2019.
  5. Saturated Fat. American Heart Association. August 23, 2024.