Diet Detective: Healthy Super Bowl Swaps


The Super Bowl is second only to Thanksgiving for eating calorie-laden foods. To give you some perspective, what follows are a few of your favorite big game foods and what it costs to burn them off.

Handful of Pita Chips With Artichoke Dip = Running 141 Football Fields

Yes, 141 football fields; each one is 100 yards, and you would have to run at an average speed of 5 mph (the average walking pace is about 3 mph). Each chip is 13 calories, plus just 1 tablespoon of dip is 80 calories.That's a total of about 93 calories for each chip.

Diet Pro: Make your own 100 percent whole-wheat pita chips, use salsa instead of artichoke dip.

Four Domino's Stuffed Cheesy Bacon Jalapeno Breadsticks = 193 Touchdown Dances in the End Zone

While the stuffed cheese bread is probably very tasty, it's also a calorie killer at 160 calories per piece, or 640 calories for four.

Diet Pro: Toast 100 percent whole-wheat pita bread with butter spray and Parmesan cheese. Of course, it won't be the same, but it's low in calories and will taste great.

Two Slice of Domino's Bacon Cheeseburger Feast Hand-Tossed Pizza (16 inches) = 209 Minutes Performing in a Marching Band.

Pizza AND a cheeseburger ­ what will they think of next? Each slice is 490 calories, but it is hand tossed.

Diet Pro: Try thin-crust pizza, and if you really want to be super healthy, how about getting pizza without the cheese—just add your own Parmesan.

Half of a White Castle "Crave Case" With Cheese = Face Painting 111 Wild Fans

These are sliders with cheese. Each slider is 170 calories, and there are 30 in a case. That's 2,550 calories for 15, but they're not very large.

Diet Pro: How about having just one or two? If that's not possible, your best bet is NOT to go to White Castle. You could also make your own burgers — white meat turkey if you really want to be super healthy, or at the very least very lean ground meat.