Meal Prep: Super Bowl Sunday
The Super Bowl is one of the biggest eating holidays of the year in North America, rivaled only by Thanksgiving and Christmas. On the big day the a diehard fan might ingest 2400 calories during the game alone! That’s well above the daily recommended for most people for an entire 24 hours.
The majority of these calories come from greasy fast foods. It is estimated that more than 1 billion chicken bites, millions of slices of pizza, and a massive 11 million pounds of potato chips will be gobbled up! Another Super Bowl staple is beer, with more than 325 million gallons being drank that day. Beverages alone can add another 500-1000 calories for the average person or more if you are a seasoned drinker.
But the real question is, can one day of overindulgence really hurt you?
If you have been working diligently in the gym, as well as in the kitchen, you may be worried about how an evening like this could set you back. Typically, one day of over indulgence won’t have too negative of an impact, but if it continues over a couple months you can say goodbye to your diet gains. There is no cause to panic the biggest problem with Super Bowl Sunday is that it trails an already very full holiday eating season and a few weeks of playoffs, so you may be in a position where you are already trying to get back to where you feel and perform your best.
From a biological standpoint there is evidence that eating just one highly fatty meal can generate unhealthy lipids, which are markers of heart disease. Luckily, there are many ways to avoid the dreaded post Super Bowl bloat. First, think about having water as your main drink of choice. Even if you’re planning on enjoying a few alcoholic beverages during the game, make an effort to drink a cup of water between each of the alcoholic ones. Similarly, try and make an extra effort to stay hydrated during the day before the game. This will keep your body working smoothly, and will result in you drinking less of those empty calories.
Secondly, plan to enjoy the day! There are many alternate options to those large fatty chili bowls and chicken wings so long as you plan ahead and substitute delicious – but more forgiving – options. To help you out we have two recipes here for you to download with lots of time to plan. If you come to the party prepared with one of these it’s bound to be a crowd pleaser and an added bonus you can easily fit them into your macros to keep you on track!