Stupidbowl Food

No, that's not a typo in the title. I know, what a surprise; I'm a West coast neo-hippie who, of course, doesn't like football. My dad played football in high school and rugby in college, so it's not like I grew up in a house that had an extreme dislike for the sport. I've tried throughout my life to truly understand the sport and why people love it so much. After living in Milwaukee, WI for one winter, I did get a glimpse into the football world. The entire city (and I would, assume, state) would shut down when the Packers played. At the gym, all channels would be on the game. I even got into the spirit by adding green and yellow decorations to cookies I made for my co-workers.

But, alas, I still don't like the sport. In fact, I refer to this Sunday's momentous event at the Stupidbowl (please do not send me hate mail!). I can't stand the game, hate people's obsession with the ads and the usually-lame half-time presentation. And, why do we take ourselves so seriously? People's intense planning and obsession for the day that we crown a team the "World?" champions is baffling. The last time I checked, we were the only country who participated in this day and most people who play football are actually playing soccer. (don't know how the names got mixed up for us).

In addition to wearing your team's favorite colors and tacky costumes, it's a time to eat. And eat more. In fact, after Thanksgiving, it's the number one home-part of the year and the second biggest food-eating event. This means lots of artery-clogging buffalo wings, chips, dips and desserts. Sorry to rain on your parade, but remember that I am the west coast anti-football vegetarian, so of course I'm rolling my eyes and sighing at the idea of what people will be ingesting. However, there are some healthier options.

Some suggestions include:
-lots of veggies. They're delicious and plentiful.
-go for low-fat dips (skip full-fat sour cream and go for non-fat instead)
-limit the amount of alcohol and soda you consume
-exercise before or after the big game.
-limit your dessert consumption.
-incorporate healthy, new recipes into your food spread.

Enjoy the day. I'm looking forward to the World Series.

(photo: CaseDeQueso, Flickr Creative Commons)