The teams are set, are you set for the big game?

Super Bowl Sunday is America’s second largest eating day, falling behind only Thanksgiving in terms of calories consumed. An average daily intake for Americans is 2,000 calories, but during the big football game we eat that much in less than three hours.

That’s a hard fact to swallow.  But there are opportunities to bring cheers to the table by offering a colorful spread that includes fruit and vegetable options.

If you’re afraid a veggie platter will play second string to the standard fare, pull a kitchen quarterback sneak by incorporating fresh foods in creative ways. Fruits and vegetables add more variety, nutrition and color to the traditional super spread—and that’s a touchdown any day.

 Loaded Potato Skins

Serves 12 (2 potato skins each)

All You Need

•3 large russet potatoes

•1 tablespoon Hy-Vee olive oil

•1 teaspoon salt

•1/2 teaspoon black pepper

•4 tablespoons Hy-Vee light sour cream

•1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

•1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

•1/2 cup Hy-Vee shredded sharp cheddar cheese

•1 small tomato, diced
1/2 cup shredded cabbage

 All You Do

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise, then cut each half into quarters. Arrange potato quarters on a parchment-lined baking sheet, skins facing up. Brush  olive oil over the skins of the potatoes. Sprinkle salt and pepper over potatoes. Bake about 20 minutes or until potato flesh is easily pierced with a fork and skins are crisp and golden. Allow potatoes to cool to room temperature. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine sour cream, oregano and garlic powder; stir until well combined.

3. When potatoes are cool enough to handle, use a serrated knife to remove most of the potato flesh from each quarter, leaving just a quarter-inch of the potato skin. Return skins to the same baking sheet, skin-side-down. Sprinkle cheese over potato skins and bake until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.

4. Top each potato skin with a spoonful of diced tomato and shredded cabbage. Drizzle sour cream mixture over loaded skins and serve immediately.

Nutrition per serving: 80 calories, 3 g total fat (1.5 g sat. fat), 5 mg cholesterol, 240 mg sodium, 11 g carbohydrate (1 g fiber, 1 g sugars), 3 g protein.

 Berry Blitz

Serves 12 (1 berry each)

All you need

•12 large strawberries

•1 cup Hy-Vee dark chocolate chips

•2 tablespoons Hy-Vee white chocolate chips

•Piping bag with No. 2 tip
Parchment paper

 All you do

1. Rinse and completely dry the strawberries. Place the dark chocolate chips in a microwave-safe coffee mug; microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir and heat for another 15 seconds. Repeat until chocolate is almost melted, avoiding overheating the chocolate so it doesn’t seize.

2. Grab one strawberry at a time by the leaves and dip it into the chocolate, swirling the berry until it is coated. Hold the strawberry above the coffee mug for a few seconds to allow any excess chocolate to drip off. Place on a sheet of parchment paper to dry. Push forward slightly to avoid a pool of hardened chocolate forming in the front of the berry (see photo). Repeat with remaining strawberries and melted chocolate. Allow chocolate to harden for 15 minutes.

3. Place white chocolate in a separate mug; microwave on HIGH for 30 seconds. Stir and heat for another 15 seconds. Repeat until chocolate is almost melted. White chocolate tends to seize even faster, so watch it closely.

4. Transfer melted white chocolate to the piping bag. Let the chocolate cool just slightly so it will be less likely to run. Pipe a stripe at the top and one at the bottom of each strawberry. Next, pipe a line down the middle of the berry. Finally, pipe 5 or 6 short lines across the middle line to make the football “lacing”. Chill coated berries until ready to serve. Serve within 6 hours.

Nutrition per serving: 110 calories, 7 g total fat (4 g sat. fat), 0 mg cholesterol, 10 mg sodium, 15 g carbohydrate (2 g fiber, 13 g sugars), 1 g protein.


Endzone Eggs

Serves 12 (2 eggs each)

All you need


•1 dozen hard-cooked eggs, peeled

•1/2 cup light mayonnaise

•3 tablespoons mango chutney

•1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

•1/4 teaspoon salt

•1 package fresh chives

 All you do

1. Cut each egg in half lengthwise; carefully remove yolks and transfer to a medium bowl.

2. Using a fork, mash yolks. Stir in mayonnaise, chutney and red pepper, mixing until well blended. Season with salt.

3. Divide yolk mixture evenly among egg white halves. Decorate tops of eggs with fresh snipped chives that are arranged to resemble the laces of a football. Serve immediately.

Nutrition per serving: 110 calories, 7 g total fat (2 g sat. fat), 190 mg cholesterol, 230 mg sodium, 3 g carbohydrate (0 g fiber, 2 g sugars), 6 g protein.


Touchdown Taters

Serves 10 (2 fritters each)

All you need


•2 ½ cups Hy-Vee frozen country-style shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed

•1 large sweet potato, peeled

•2 large eggs, lightly beaten

•1 teaspoon salt

•1 teaspoon smoked paprika

•1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

•1/2 teaspoon black pepper

•1/4 cup flour

•1 teaspoon vegetable oil

•1/4 cup light sour cream

 All you do

1. Place the hash browns in a strainer to drain. Grate the sweet potato on a box grater. Add shredded sweet potato to the hash brown potatoes to drain for 10 minutes.  Press down on the vegetables, allowing excess water to drain off. Gather potatoes into paper towels and squeeze to drain further.

2. Transfer drained, shredded vegetables to a large bowl. Add eggs, salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder and black pepper; mix well. Sprinkle flour over all; toss to coat.

3. Heat oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Mound 2 tablespoon of the potato mixture onto a thin spatula; shape mixture into a short log-shaped mound and carefully place it in the skillet; repeat to cook four mounds at one time. Cover skillet. Cook potatoes on one side until browned, about 4 minutes. Carefully remove lid and turn mounds over, pressing them down with the back of a spatula. Use the edge of the spatula or a knife to shape the mounds into flat football shapes. Replace lid and cook until fritters are browned on the other side, 4-5 minutes. Once the fritters are cooked on both sides, transfer them to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain off any excess oil. Repeat to make 20 fritters total.

4. The fritters can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated up to 2 days. When ready to serve, place them on a baking sheet and heat in an oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

5. Before serving, place sour cream in a small zip-top bag and snip a very small hole in one end. Pipe the sour cream onto each fritter to represent the football laces. Serve while fritters are still warm.

Nutrition per serving: 70 calories, 2 g fat (1 g sat. fat), 40 mg cholesterol, 330 mg sodium, 11 g carbohydrate (1 g fiber, 2 g sugars), 3 g protein.