Americans spent roughly $50 million on snacks for the Super Bowl. According to the Calorie Control Council (CCC) — yes, it does exist — the average game day viewer will consume around 1,200 calories and 50 grams of fat from snacking alone. If you’ve battled your way through the bulge of the holiday season, that one day of super snacking could completely wreck your diet.
Consider yourself someone with a will of steel? Snacks just may be your kryptonite. According to the Snack Food Association, Americans double their average daily consumption of snacks on Super Bowl Sunday. Maybe it’s the nonstop rotation of food, or that buffet table that looks so tempting. It could also be the easy eating of foods like chips, pretzels, and wings that are gone in just a few bites, so quick you can hardly remember eating it.
Even seemingly healthy foods like avocados — full of heart healthy omega fats and potassium — can wreak havoc on your diet. Just two tablespoons of guacamole have 50 calories. Doesn’t sound too bad, but do you ever just stop at one scoop? And let’s not forget the calories contained in the scooping vessel.
Want to know which other foods to stay away from? Here is a look at a few snacks that could wreck your diet.
1. Cheese
A party tray with swiss and cheddar cheese and crackers (iStock)
Who doesn’t love a good cheese plate? Your personal trainer, that’s who. One little cube of Cheddar cheese holds 120 calories. Sure, protein is good for you, but, considering one little square eats up more than half the recommended calorie intake for an entire snack serving, is that one miniature bite worth it?
2. Chicken Wings
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There is no way you will get through the day without chowing down on a few wings. Chicken wings are a rite of passage on Super Bowl Sunday. Just keep in mind that each wing has about 135 calories and 2.5 grams of saturated fat.
3. French Fries
french fries and some burger - food and drink (iStock)
No, these won’t count as part of your vegetable intake for the day. A medium order of fries weighs in at around 365 calories and around 17 grams of fat. If you’re counting carbs, count all the way to 40 grams. Since these are generally eaten as a side and not an on-its-own snack, you can expect to be tipping the scales on the heavy side for the day.
4. Guacamole
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According to the Hass Avocado Board, over Super Bowl weekend, approximately 100 million pounds of guacamole will be eaten. This is a great snack option if you stop at the recommended 2-tablespoon serving size for 50 calories. Since you probably won’t, you can expect to take in around 155 calories and 17 grams of fat in a ½ cup of the stuff – not counting the 146 calories in the 10 tortilla chips you’ll likely be using to shovel it all in.
5. Hummus
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Hummus is definitely one of the healthier snack options out there, but beware of the packaged varieties, which can contain double the calories of a homemade hummus — 60 percent of them coming from fat. And since most Super Bowl party hosts are using Hummus their blenders for other things, chances are the hummus offering will be the store-bought variety.
See more party foods that may be wreaking havoc on your diet.
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