For most Americans, everyone seems to have a love-hate relationship with Super Bowl weekend. Whether or not you're a football fan, it's a time to gather with friends and family across a giant spread of your favorite snacks and dishes. Between all of the dips, pizza and drinks, it’s difficult to make healthy choices with so many snacks and different foods are available. But there’s no denying that the snack landscape at big social gatherings is not conducive to managing your waistline or blood sugar.
If you’re feeling like you may have overindulged, you’re not alone. SNAC International reported that Super Bowl viewers will scarf down roughly 11.2 million pounds of potato chips, 8.2 million pounds of tortilla chips, 3.8 million pounds of popcorn, and 3 million pounds of nuts. These numbers don’t account for chicken wings, pizza, and, of course, beer. According to the Calorie Control Council, the average viewer consumes 2,400 calories over the four to five-hour period.
Whether it’s a Super Bowl party or a typical social gathering, how do you game plan a good defense against the onslaught of calories? If you’re still pursuing your resolution to eat healthy this year or you need to carefully monitor your blood sugar, parties can be particularly difficult for making healthy choices. But you can maintain a healthy approach to snacking while enjoying the party with everyone else. We sat down with two nutritional experts from the Atrium Health Diabetes Center — Kathy Jackson, RN, program coordinator, and Tonya Ashrafi, registered dietician — to learn more about a healthy approach to snacking.
If you’re feeling like you may have overindulged, you’re not alone. SNAC International reported that Super Bowl viewers will scarf down roughly 11.2 million pounds of potato chips, 8.2 million pounds of tortilla chips, 3.8 million pounds of popcorn, and 3 million pounds of nuts. These numbers don’t account for chicken wings, pizza, and, of course, beer. According to the Calorie Control Council, the average viewer consumes 2,400 calories over the four to five-hour period.
Whether it’s a Super Bowl party or a typical social gathering, how do you game plan a good defense against the onslaught of calories? If you’re still pursuing your resolution to eat healthy this year or you need to carefully monitor your blood sugar, parties can be particularly difficult for making healthy choices. But you can maintain a healthy approach to snacking while enjoying the party with everyone else. We sat down with two nutritional experts from the Atrium Health Diabetes Center — Kathy Jackson, RN, program coordinator, and Tonya Ashrafi, registered dietician — to learn more about a healthy approach to snacking.
