 You know the score. It’s college (and Super) bowl season, and that means gathering fellow football fans around the television for game after game, accompanied by snack after snack. Unfortunately, the result can be pound after pound packed on quickly -- especially if you and your family and buddies are spending an entire weekend in front of the TV.
 Just how strong is the link between overeating while watching football games on television? When researchers at the Calorie Control Council and the Snack Food Association decided to tackle that question, they looked at the munching habits of those watching the Super Bowl. The results showed that an average armchair quarterback consumes an astonishing 1,200 calories and 50 grams of fat just from snacking -- and that’s not counting meals.
In fact, the researchers found that while watching the Super Bowl, Americans eat a mind blowing (and waist expanding) 30 million pounds of snack food. Potato chips alone account for 27 billion of those calories and 1.8 billion grams of fat.
But let’s face it. No matter how much you want to watch your weight, the odds are you aren’t going to give up munchies while parked on the sofa rooting for your teams.
And the good news is you don’t have to.
Instead of struggling unsuccessfully to skip the goodies altogether or feeling guilty because you scarf down a couple of days worth of calories in an afternoon, take a time out now to plan ahead for your college bowl-watching marathon. By making some substitutions in your regular snack menu, you’ll help your waistline and health while enjoying the games.
Pile on taste, not calories
Chips and dips, pretzels, pizza, and barbecue chicken wings are the typical college bowl-watching fare. But Nancy L. Cohen, Ph.D, who heads the University of Massachusetts’ department of nutrition, says there are plenty of healthier choices that offer similar crunchiness and zesty taste, without the excess fat and calories.
For example, you don’t have to give up pretzels altogether. Instead, buy the lower sodium varieties. For even more crunch appeal, serve a platter of baby carrots, celery, and green pepper strips instead of a bowl of potato chips.
You don’t need a high calorie, high-fat sour cream based dip, either. "Choose hummus or a low-fat cottage cheese based dip," says Cohen. She also suggests adding nutrient-packed, low calorie fruits to your snack table, such as grapes and Clementine oranges.
 Prior to placing an order for a mound of chicken wings for munching during the games, stop and consider there’s actually not much chicken there. Julie Schwartz, coordinator of nutrition services at Emory Healthcare’s bariatric center in Atlanta, points out that just two pieces of chicken wings are actually mostly fat with little meat, averaging between 110 and 250 calories – and that’s before you dip them in sauce.
Score with easy, healthy substitutions
Schwartz suggests serving up these protein-packed, low-fat treats for college bowl game-watching snacks instead of standard fare like pizza and chicken wings:
Chill out with chili. Use highly nutritious beans as fillers with lean meat and you’ll end up with only 380 calories per 1½ to 1¾ cups. Serve with whole-wheat crackers.
Make homemade sandwiches. Use lean deli turkey, turkey ham, or lean roast beef on pumpernickel or rye. Cut sandwiches into quarters to encourage eating less.
Going nuts at game time? That’s a good thing -- nuts like pistachios, walnuts, almonds, and pecans are packed with fiber and other healthy nutrients. Nuts are high in calories, however, so try to stick to one or two small handfuls at most.
Dip into new tastes. Use homemade guacamole and black bean salsa for dipping toasted pita wedges, toasted corn tortillas, baked tortilla chips, celery, crisp sugar snap peas, and grape tomatoes.
Avoid fattening fumbles
If there’s one way to foul up the best diet intentions, it’s to ignore portion control. But can you realistically keep an eye on how much you are eating while you’re caught up in the excitement of watching the plays?
The key, say the nutrition experts, is to use simple but effective strategies. "Keep only the fruit and vegetable snacks in the room with the TV. Other items can be placed elsewhere in the house, so you and your guests need to get up and put them on a plate before the food is brought into the TV room," Cohen says.
That forces people to be conscious of how much food they are selecting and eating, rather than mindlessly putting hand to mouth in front of the television.
 She also notes that putting snack foods in small bowls and using small salad, bread, or dessert plates can help with portion control.
Schwartz offers another way to trick you and your buddies into eating less. When you serve nuts, make sure they are still in the shell. "That way, you’ll have to slow down your eating to work for them, and you’ll also have a visual cue from the shells to see how many you’ve eaten," she says.
Want to cut back on your appetite for munchies? Try snacking before you snack. That may sound crazy, but it actually makes sense. "If you arrive to watch the football games without feeling ravenous, you are far more likely to keep your snacking while watching television under control," says Schwartz. "Have a large juicy and crisp apple or succulent pear on the way for a healthy, filling base."
It’s not only what you eat but what you drink to excess while watching college bowl games that can bust your diet goals. "Limit alcoholic drinks (alcohol has 7 calories for every gram), and choose seltzers and other low-calorie drinks," Cohen says.
Another healthful tip for drinkers: if you are indulging in alcohol, make a point to also drink a lot of water. Schwartz points out water not only keeps you better hydrated than alcohol but also will make you feel fuller so you’ll be less likely to over-indulge in food or booze.
Don’t just sit there!
Not only does college bowl watching bring snacking-to-the max temptations, but it also can contribute to a sedentary mindset. And lack of exercise combined with high-fat, high-calorie food ups the risk not only for weight gain but also for cardiovascular and other health troubles.
Consider these tips for keeping active even on days jam-packed with bowl games on TV:
- Plan on a hike, walk, or run prior to kick-off.
- Going to a friend’s house to watch the games? Park several blocks away and walk to your destination to work in some extra exercise.
- Get up and get move during those often annoyingly long bowl commercials. Even just walking briskly outside for a few minutes will rev up your circulation and metabolism.
- Instead of being a couch potato glued to the TV while the game’s underway, let your team spirit soar. Stand up, high five, cheer, and jump around.
- Get a game of your own going with friends and family during half time -- play flag football, basketball, or kick a soccer ball around.
- Look up the calories of your favorite game day fare and see how long you would have to walk to burn off the calories. You can even use the info as a trivia game during the commercial breaks. And let the down-and-dirty facts about how many calories are in your favorite snacks inspire you to hit the gym or treadmill or go for a power walk after the game.
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