Superbowl Sunday -- Get Ready to Eat!

Even if the Patriots aren't in the Superbowl, most of us will likely gather with some friends or family and either tune in or to have a movie night and celebrate the end of football season. Whatever your choice, it's likely that you'll be doing some heavy duty snacking and the nachos, buffalo wings and pizza will be right under your nose.

The key is preparation. First of all, have a fiber-packed meal before you head to your celebration to fill you up. Then bring some low-cal food that you can eat as a contribution to the party. If you're hosting the party, make everything low-cal. I found some great recipes on Fitness Freebies and She Knows. If you don't tell your friend the snacks are healthy, they might just think you're a great cook.

Here are just a few of the recipes:

Shrimp Gazpacho Salsa

Ingredients:
One cucumber, peeled seeded and diced.
One large tomato, seeded and diced
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/4 cup finely diced peeled red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1-1/2 cups tomato juice1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Two limes, juiced
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 pound cooked peeled medium shrimp, chopped

Directions:In a large bowl combine cucumber, tomato, green pepper, onion and cilantro. Whisk together, tomato juice, red wine vinegar, lime juice, sugar, hot pepper sauce and Worcestershire sauce in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper and pourover vegetables. Mix in cooked shrimp and stir gently until well combined. Chill until served.Recipe makes eight servings.

Nutrition Information per Serving: Calories 60, Calories from Fat 0, Total Fat 0g, Saturated Fat 0g, Cholesterol 55mg, Sodium 390mg, Carbohydrates 6g, Dietary Fiber 0g.

Vegetarian Chili

Ingredients:
Four medium onions, chopped and peeled
One green bell pepper, chopped
3 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon mustard seed
Two, 15.25-oz cans kidney beans, undrained
One, 14.5-oz. can whole tomatoes, undrained
10 ounces trimmed, sliced mushrooms
Three carrots, peeled and diced
One, 6-oz. can tomato paste
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon baking cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions :Cook onions and bell pepper in oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until onions are golden and bell pepper is soft. Add mustard seed; cook for 1 minute, stirring. Add remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered while stirring often for about 40 minutes or until most of the liquid has cooked away and chili has thickened. Serve hot with heated corn tortillas.Recipe makes six servings.

Nutrition Information per Serving: Calories 300, Calories from Fat 70, Total Fat 8g, Saturated Fat 1g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 870mg, Carbohydrates 47g, Dietary Fiber 11g. Half-Time

Meatball Hoagies

Ingredients:
Meatballs
2 lbs lean ground turkey
1/2 medium onion, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup dried whole wheat bread crumbs
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Sauce
One 15 oz and one 28 oz can no-salt crushed tomatoes
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1-2 canned chipotle chilies, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon dried oregano
8 whole wheat rolls, approximately 3 1/2 inch diameter

Directions: Heat olive oil in medium skillet over med to high heat and add chopped onion. Saute, stirring frequently, until light brown and beginning to caramelize. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, bread crumbs, parsley, eggs, egg white, pepper, oregano, basil and garlic power. Add cooked onions and mix all ingredients well. With wet hands make 24 meat balls about one quarter cup each, place on a baking sheet and chill until sauce is ready.

In a large cooking pot combine tomatoes, garlic, onion and oregano. Bring to a simmer and cook 10 minutes. Finely chop one or two chipotle chilies (to taste) and add to the sauce. Simmer another 2 minutes. Remove meatballs from fridge and add one at a time to the sauce. Cook for about 10 minutes on medium heat, or until cooked through. Serve on whole wheat rolls. Serves 8

Serving size: One whole wheat roll with three meatballs Per serving: Calories 386, Fat 10.46g, Carbohydrate 36.64g, Protein 33.14g, Cholesterol 102.19mg, Sodium 451mg .