52 THE QUEENS COURIER • THE BIG GAME • JANUARY 25, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
the big game
Make your chip and dip a little more hip
Savvy hosts and hostesses know that
the keys to a successful soiree are a room
fi lled with laughter and delicious treats
served. If you’re hosting a special event
with friends and family, impress and
delight your guests with fresh, new takes
on the classics.
Here are some ideas for a simple, yet
indulgent, chip buff et:
• Vary the chip choices. It’s hard to beat
the classic potato chip at any snacking
occasion. Make your snacks special
by adding crispy kettle cooked chips to
the mix. Lay’s Kettle Cooked Chips are
cooked in small batches to create extra
crunch in 11 fl avors, from better-foryou
Lightly Salted Olive Oil & Herbs to
a spicy Jalapeño.
• Play with presentation. Bowls are a
tried-and-true way to serve chips, but
try some Pinterest-worthy ideas like
glass jars for guests to see all the delicious
fl avors, mini apple baskets with
metal scoops for a rustic look or individual
take-out boxes for your guests to
quickly grab.
• Do it up with dip. Dips and spreads
dress up a potato chip and when you’re
entertaining a crowd, the more the
merrier! Serve the classics like French
onion, spinach and artichoke and baked
brie, all of which are simple to prepare
and can even be prepped a day ahead
of time. To really impress your guests,
mix in a few out-of-the-ordinary recipes
such as a Jalapeño Pimento Cheese dip.
Jalapeño Pimento Cheese
Ingredients:
1 bag Lay’s Kettle Cooked Chips
8 ounces jalapeño cheddar cheese, grated
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
4-ounce jar of pimentos, drained and
chopped
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 cup pickled jalapeños, drained and
chopped
1/8 teaspoon cayenne powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Directions:
Using a food processor or grater, shred
cheddar cheese.
Add chopped pimentos, chopped jalapeños,
cayenne powder, salt, pepper, garlic
powder, mayo and 1/4 cup thick Greek
yogurt. Mix until combined. Depending
on texture you want, add more Greek
yogurt.
Stir in lemon juice.
Serve with Lay’s Kettle Cooked Original
or 40% Less Fat Jalapeño Cheddar Chips.
Courtesy BPT
Healthy half-time snacking tips from a pro
Healthy snacking and making
good food choices can be diffi cult
any time of the year, but it can be
especially tough during the big game.
Business Insider reports that only 80
percent of people who start a New
Year’s resolution keep that resolution
through February. Th is happens to
correspond with the biggest football
game of the year and the common
food temptations that go along with
it - chicken wings, chips and salsa,
pizza, not to mention beer.
Bryan Snyder, registered dietitian
and nutrition director for the Denver
Broncos, who is responsible for keeping
the year-round nutrition strategies
for the team’s players on track,
also knows the pitfalls for the fans.
“I advise people trying to eat healthier
to follow a sustainable meal plan.”
Snyder describes a sustainable meal
plan as one that allows some fl exibility
to have a meal here and there that
might have a higher calorie intake.
“I oft en see people go from eating
a poor diet and choosing unhealthy
snacks, in combination with not
exercising, to all of a sudden deciding
to work out every day and eat
perfectly every meal. Th e issue that
can arise from that behavior is that it
isn’t a sustainable plan, and it doesn’t
allow any room for those big game
snacks.”
Snyder’s recommendation is to
fi nd a nice middle ground. Allow
yourself to sneak in some of those
not-so-healthy calories on game day,
but also give yourself some healthier
options that you can have while
keeping a guilt-free conscience.
Snyder’s snack of choice?
Pistachios. “Pistachios are loaded
with antioxidants and fi ber, which
will help you feel full and prevent
you from overeating during the big
game, and give you an immune system
boost as well.”
Other healthy options are pita
chips with hummus, vegetables with
vegetable dip, bison or turkey burger
sliders, popcorn, baked sweet potato
fries, or a cup of turkey chili. For
those who can’t imagine game day
without wings, Snyder suggests baking
the wings instead of deep-frying
to replace some of the unwanted and
unnecessary fats.
“Oft entimes we want to eat healthier,
but we simply don’t know what
to eat,” says Snyder. “All of these
options are healthy swaps for satisfying
game day enjoyment.”
Snyder recommends, too, having
a backup plan if you’re going over
to someone else’s house to watch the
game, as this can be one of the biggest
pitfalls to straying from a diet.
“Don’t give yourself an excuse to eat
poorly. Take along some portable
healthy snacks - such as healthy bars,
trail mix or pistachios - to be sure
you have options and don’t indulge
in hours of unhealthy snacking.”
While it is certainly understandable
and sometimes diffi cult to eat
healthy during the big game, it is
something that can be done with
the right planning and preparation,
according to Snyder.
“One other common misconception
about healthy snacking is that
you have to sacrifi ce great taste,”
warns Snyder. “Follow this game
plan, and I guarantee you won’t.”
Courtesy BPT