Everything is ready for the big game. The kids have been up and dressed for hours. You decorated the basement and family room last night before you went to bed. It is difficult to predict how many people will be coming, but you are expecting a full house. Each of your children have invited a few friends, it seems like your husband has invited the whole neighborhood. You have the usual table of food for your husband and his friends — buffalo wings, egg rolls, bacon-wrapped hot dogs and a large crock pot of chili. Refusing to serve nothing but the traditional fare, you have also included some of your favorites on the table as well:
- roasted garlic hummus dip
- three varieties of salsa brands
- roasted red pepper hummus dip
- tzatziki greek yogurt dip
- a large tray of fruit
- an even larger tray of vegetables
- fresh guacamole dips
- grilled summer vegetable pita pizza
When the party is over your husband declares it a huge success. Helped by the fact that his favorite team won, everyone seemed to have a great time. As your family starts the process of cleaning up, you notice something interesting about the table of food. Every single one of your favorites are gone. There is actually quite a bit of chili left, and several of the buffalo wings and hot dogs are remaining. Interesting. You never would have guessed that the more healthy snacks would be the first to go. All three salsa brands have completely disappeared and you do not have enough of anything to even bother trying to save. Go figure.
While studies show that 90% of Americans don?t eat enough vegetables each day, this wasn’t the case at your party. The dips that included nutrient-rich beans and avocados, like the spicy guacamole you served, were eaten just as much as the always popular salsa brands. You are just as surprised about the vegetable dips that disappeared first. The all-natural Greek yogurt veggie dips, which have 67% fewer calories and 88% less fat than most leading sour cream dips, were also devoured. If people usually eat about one cup of vegetables per day, this party blew that statistic out the window. Some how amidst all of the fun and excitement you must have helped several of your guests exceed the two spoonfuls of hummus a day to fulfill their bean recommendation for the week.You will definitely remember this for the next gathering — you should always serve a wide variety of more healthy choices alongside the traditional game day favorites. This might make planning the next party even more fun. Read more.
