The Most Valuable Super Bowl Snack Swaps

Kristin Kirkpatrick

No matter if your team is playing in this year's Super Bowl or not, you can still win by keeping your diet on track throughout the festivities. Sure, everything is OK in moderation, but how many holidays have we tortured our bodies with already this winter? Here are some swaps for your favorite football foods to tackle those viewing parties.

Mozzarella Sticks

-- Alternative: Instead of eating fried mozzarella sticks, bake your own! Take a pack of part-skim mozzarella cheese sticks, cut them in half, dip them in a beaten egg and sprinkle with whole-wheat bread crumbs, dried parsley, Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning, then bake in the oven until golden brown. Nutrition facts: 80 calories for two pieces, 3.5 grams of fat.

-- What you save: 140 calories, 18.5 grams of fat.

-- What you gain: 8 grams of protein and 20 percent percent of your daily calcium.

Wings

-- Alternative: Instead of the kind that's battered, fried and loaded with fat and sauce, bake your own wings for a touchdown on taste and nutrition. Take chicken drumettes or even diced up chicken breast and boil them; remove from the water when finished with tongs and place on a baking sheet. Cover with a mixture of low-sodium chicken broth, minced garlic and hot sauce. Broil until brown on both sides. Nutrition facts: 120 calories, 8 grams of fat.

-- What you save: 93 calories, 10 grams of fat.

-- What you gain: 9 grams of filling protein.

Fried Zucchini

-- Alternative: Sure you could prepare your zucchini just like the baked mozzarella sticks, but why not get a little more creative with your palate and make tiny zucchini pizzas for your guests? Slice up a large zucchini into discs and bake for a few minutes, then flip and bake for a few more. Top with tomato sauce and a sprinkle of low-fat shredded mozzarella cheese; bake until golden on top and enjoy your low-carb, gluten-free snacks. Nutrition facts: 20 calories, 1 gram of fat.

-- What you save: 310 calories, 17 grams of fat.

-- What you gain: A low-carbohydrate (the fried version has 26 grams of carbs!) unexpected change to the menu lineup.

Nachos

-- Alternative: Rather than having artificial liquid cheese, opt for a high-fiber bean dip. Mix together diced peppers and red onion, drained, rinsed black beans, kidney beans and corn. Add a drizzle of olive oil and red wine vinegar, sprinkle some black pepper on and use black bean chips to scoop. Nutrition fats for six to eight chips with dip: 110 calories, 6 grams of fat.

-- What you save: 498 calories, 28 grams of fat.

-- What you gain: 3 grams of fiber and 3 grams of vegan protein -- that's like two field goals in one recipe!

Chili

-- Alternative: Instead of a traditional beef chili, make your own vegan chili for a fiber-filled, low fat soup that will not leave you feeling heavy. Mix crushed tomatoes with drained, rinsed black beans, corn, and kidney beans with diced zucchini and onion. Add in cumin, chili pepper, and garlic powder to flavor and enjoy a whole cup for only 150 calories, 1 gram of fat.

-- What you save: 64 calories, 12 grams of fat

-- What you gain: 8 additional grams of protein, 10 grams of fiber, and a spicy new player on your menu!

Potato Skins

-- Alternative: Instead of loaded potato skins -- which are actually "loaded" with calories and fat -- switch a few key ingredients around for a delicious and healthy alternative. Take your favorite loaded potato skin recipe and replace the white potato with a sweet potato and the sour cream with nonfat plain Greek yogurt, and add low-fat shredded cheese and as many veggies as your heart desires. Nutrition facts: 120 calories, 1.5 grams of fat.

-- What you save: 1,310 calories, 76.5 grams of fat.

-- What you gain: 220 percent of your daily vitamin A per half potato, 12 grams of protein -- and not a fumble of calories and fat.

Chicken Fingers

-- Alternative: Instead of fried chicken fingers, try these -- they have just as much crunch, without the guilt. Take raw chicken breast cut into tenders and dip in a bowl of beaten egg, coat with whole-wheat flour, dip back in the egg and into whole-wheat panko crumbs and whatever spices you would like. Bake until crispy, and you have yourself 150 calories and 15 grams of fat for two chicken tenders.

-- What you save: 100 calories, 11.5 grams of fat

-- What you gain: 18 grams of lean protein to keep you full until overtime.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

-- Alternative: Swap out the fatty dip with a deceiving title for healthy fats in this skinny guacamole. Take a steamed, diced zucchini, two diced avocados, some diced tomatoes, diced red onion, a splash of orange juice, a splash of lime juice, chopped garlic and cilantro, and you have a better green dip for your party guests. Two tablespoons yields 46 calories and 4 grams of fat.

-- What you save: 264 calories, 15 grams of fat.

-- What you gain: A healthy dip greener than the grass at the University of Phoenix Stadium.

So before your team takes the field this Sunday, remember your own nutrition playbook -- while the competition may be rough, your diet can still stay smooth. Run the surprise nutritional onside, and go for two healthy snacks over one fried, beer-battered, calorie-laden fumble -- you'll be the real MVP!

Ellen Zegarelli contributed to this blog.

Kristin Kirkpatrick, MS, RD, LD, is the manager of Wellness Nutrition Services at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute. She is an experienced presenter, an award-winning dietitian, an author and a regular television guest on both local and national shows, as well a contributor to several national magazines and newspapers. The Huffington Post recently named Kristin "one of 25 diet and nutrition experts you need to follow on Twitter." Kirkpatrick's career began in Washington, D.C., lobbying for Medical Nutrition Therapy reform, and from there she went on to become the Regional Coordinator of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute's Hearts N Parks program in Maryland. Follow her on Twitter at @KristinKirkpat.