Survive the Super Bowl...without blowing your diet.

Just when you thought you were back on track with your healthy eating after the holidays…BOOM…Super Bowl Sunday hits. It’s not just a game anymore, it’s an eat-and-drink-with-friends-fest. But just because the table is spread with the normal high-fat and calorie loaded munchies like chips and dip, pizza, burgers, cheese sauce, little smokies, etc. does not mean that you need to throw out all of your healthy habits and gorge yourself. Just follow a few simple tricks and trades and you’ll be cheering for health as well as your favorite team (what will it be…Saints? Colts?).

Don't cheer hungry. A great tactic to ensure that you won't overeat on Sunday is to not arrive hungry. Eat a light but satisfying snack before you go. A half turkey sandwich on whole grain bread, veggies and hummus or a protein shake should do the trick.

Take a step back. You see all the food on the table and you want to make a beeline for the buffet. Go for it, but once you've gone through the line once, plant yourself on a far away coach out of arms reach of the snacks and, better yet, keep your back to the food table. With this little trick, you are less likely to absent-mindedly snack.

Exercise portion control. Where does it say that just because you can eat a truckload of food, you should? Get one plate of food and make sure that at least half is filled up with veggies, fruits and lean protein, the other half can be your favorite Super Bowl food picks…”favorite” being the key word here. Don't waste precious calories on food that you don't really love. Pick out your favorites and savor them slowly.

Drink Dilemma. If you decide to have a cold one or two while watching the game, make sure you’re drinking light beer. And for those that are not beer drinkers, trade your mixed drink for a glass or wine or champagne…you will save yourself at least 100 calories if not lots more. And of course, drink two glasses of water to every alcoholic beverage to keep you from overdrinking as well as staying hydrated.

Skip the hangover. Schedule a sweat session for Monday morning…knowing that you will be going to be working hard the next morning will make you think about how much you’re drinking on Sunday evening…plus, you'll burn calories from your “favorite” treats and zapping fatigue and winter blues all at once.

Make it your mission to put a healthy option on the table and bring one of these tasty, waist-friendly snacks:

• Veggies and hummus (this is what I’m bringing to the party I’m going to!)
• Fruit skewers
• Baked chips and low fat chip dip or salsa
• Grilled chicken sliders
• Whole grain crackers with turkey slices

Enjoy your party and goooooo….whoever you’re routing for (My pick is the Saints J )