Angie Kalousek Ebrahimi, Blue Shield of California
The National Football League (NFL) season is coming to its end, which means that Super Bowl 2025 is right around the corner — this year’s game will take place between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday February 9.
Traditionally, Super Bowl parties are a time for mass consumption of junk food, but Angie Kalousek Ebrahimi, Blue Shield of California’s senior director of lifestyle medicine, says they don’t have to be: “We can keep the fun without overindulging in unhealthy foods.”
Kalousek Ebrahimi offers three strategies to make healthier eating choices around the Super Bowl.
1. Create fun outside of food and alcohol.
It’s important to remember why we enjoy the Super Bowl. “The real source of fun is spending time with family and friends around a common interest,” said Kalousek Ebrahimi. “You can create healthy competition that isn’t centered around food or alcohol. Instead of taking shots when a team scores, enlist guests in a push-up competition or have cash or other prizes.”
2. Come in with an eating plan.
Having an eating plan can be the key to staying on track. “Just like the teams, you need a strategy. If you have a plan around food, you are more likely to succeed,” said Kalousek Ebrahimi. She recommends eating a light meal before any party so you’re not showing up famished. Once you arrive at a party, peruse the food options and make a plan around what you will eat and when you will eat it.
Game day burrito bowl
Raspberry chocolate chip popsicles
3. Replace junk food with healthier options.
Whether you are hosting or bringing a dish to someone else’s home this year, Kalousek Ebrahimi suggests healthy recipes that are just as delicious. Start with the Thrive Global Cookbook, which is a collaboration between Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan and Thrive Global, the behavior change technology company founded by Arianna Huffington. It includes recipes for Kalousek Ebrahimi’s picks: burrito bowls, baked eggplant fries and raspberry chocolate chip popsicles.
“Avoid processed food that has a lot of simple carbs and/or sugar,” said Kalousek Ebrahimi. “Chips, cookies and crackers have a lot of empty calories and spike your blood sugar.”
Some alternatives she recommends:
- Appetizers: Hummus and tzatziki with cut-up vegetables or whole-grain pita slices, cheese crisps you can make by putting shredded Parmesan cheese in the microwave and vegetable chips you can make using an air fryer. These are high-protein, high-fiber options loaded with nutrients.
- Main course: Chili made with beans and either ground chicken or ground turkey. Instead of sour cream on top, use Greek yogurt.
- Dessert: Opt for fresh cut fruit and berries. To make it fun, use team colors or arrange in the shape of your team’s logo.
Eggplant fries
“There are a lot of temptations at Super Bowl parties, and the food is usually out all day,” said Kalousek Ebrahimi. “Just like an NFL player, if you make a bad play, you can pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get back on track at any time. That’s the beauty about healthy eating and health care in general: It’s not something you do once a year. It’s about what you eat at every meal, how you move, how you deal with your emotional well-being and how you care for loved ones.”
For more recipes to consider for this year’s Super Bowl party, check out the Thrive Global Cookbook, a collaboration between Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan and Thrive Global, the behavior change technology company founded by Arianna Huffington. Click here to check out the Thrive Global Cookbook in other languages.
For more information on Blue Shield of California’s offerings to support your health and nutrition, available at no additional cost to most members, visit digital lifestyle platform Wellvolution.
