Healthy Low-Calorie Football Recipes

Find healthy, delicious low-calorie football recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.

Staff Picks

Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers

Rating: Unrated
4
Mounding a classic Philly cheesesteak mixture in a colorful bell pepper and melting cheese on top is an easy way to skip the bread and cut the carbs.
By Carolyn Casner

EatingWell's Eggplant Parmesan

Rating: Unrated
44
Here we bake breaded eggplant for crispy results with fewer calories to boot. This makeover of the classic recipe was originally developed by our Test Kitchen in 1995 and got an update in 2020 for our 30th anniversary issue.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

White Turkey Chili

Rating: Unrated
10
This healthy white turkey chili recipe is gorgeous, with flecks of green from zucchini, oregano and green chiles. To keep the saturated fat low, we use one pound of ground turkey and add whole-grain bulgur to boost the volume and fiber in this chili recipe. After all the ingredients are added to the pot, we like to slowly simmer our chili for close to an hour to develop the best flavor, but if you're in a hurry, reduce the liquid by half and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili

Rating: Unrated
92
Make a double batch of this quick vegetarian chili, full of black beans and sweet potatoes, and eat it for lunch the next day or freeze the extras for another night. We love the smoky heat from the ground chipotle, but omit it if you prefer a mild chili. Serve with tortilla chips or cornbread and coleslaw.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Sriracha-Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

Rating: Unrated
10
This recipe for spicy Buffalo cauliflower bites is a great vegetarian alternative to Buffalo wings. Roasted cauliflower stands in for chicken and provides more fiber and fewer calories. Serve this easy appetizer with carrot sticks, celery and your favorite ranch or blue cheese dressing.
By Breana Killeen

Garlic Hummus

Rating: Unrated
6
This classic hummus recipe couldn't be easier--just toss a few ingredients in the food processor and whir away! Aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas) makes this healthy dip extra smooth and creamy. Serve with veggie chips, pita chips or crudités.
By Devon O'Brien

Air-Fryer Jalapeño Poppers

Rating: Unrated
1
The perfect football-party food, classic jalapeño poppers get a crispy upgrade in an air fryer. Cream cheese tempers the just-right hint of heat from the pepper and Buffalo sauce. To save time, you can stuff the peppers ahead of the party and fry them just before serving.
By Adam Hickman

Firehouse Frito Pie

Rating: Unrated
7
Classic Frito pie is a pile of Fritos topped with beefy chili and runny cheese often made straight in the chip bag! Our refined and lightened version is fresh-tasting and delicious. A whole 1/2 cup of chili powder gives it plenty of punch, but be sure to use mild chili powder. If you have spicier chili powder, start with 1 to 2 tablespoons and taste as you go. Top with tomato, lettuce and just a little cheese (hold the Whiz, please).
By Carolyn Casner

Chili-Topped Sweet Potatoes

Rating: Unrated
1
Transform ordinary baked potatoes into a full dinner with these chili-topped spuds. In this healthy recipe, we use sweet potatoes for an added nutrient kick. Sprinkle on extra toppings as you see fit--sliced scallions, chopped fresh cilantro, diced avocado and sliced jalapeños are all tasty choices.
By Carolyn Malcoun

Chili-Cheese Nachos

Rating: Unrated
1
Make nachos a healthy dinner when you top them with an easy 30-minute chili. Serve this healthy recipe with sliced scallions, avocado, fresh tomatoes and sour cream, if desired.
By Carolyn Malcoun

Steak Burritos

Rating: Unrated
11
Here's a burrito inspired by San Francisco's super burritos that come packed with meat, beans, rice, cheese, guacamole and salsa. We've kept this home-style version a bit simpler to make and a whole lot healthier with brown rice, whole-wheat tortillas and a more reasonable serving size. We recommend wrapping it in foil--the traditional way to serve it--so you can pick the burrito up and eat it without it falling apart, peeling back the foil as you go. Serve with a cold beer and vinegar-dressed slaw.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Italian Vegetable Hoagies

Rating: Unrated
25
This delightfully easy, and somewhat messy, sandwich packs a punch with sweet balsamic vinegar, artichoke hearts, red onion, provolone cheese and zesty pepperoncini. We love it for dinner as well as lunch. If you're packing the hoagies to take along, keep the ingredients separate and assemble right before eating to avoid soggy bread. Serve with tomato and cucumber salad.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Inspiration and Ideas

Creamy Spinach Dip

Creamy Spinach Dip

Rating: Unrated
6
Try this light spinach dip made healthier with reduced-fat cream cheese, nonfat yogurt and low-fat cottage cheese instead of full-fat cheese, mayonnaise and sour cream. It will save you a whopping 84 calories and 10 grams of fat per serving when compared to traditional versions. Serve it with pita chips and crunchy vegetables or spread it on a sandwich.
Black Bean Quesadillas

Black Bean Quesadillas

Rating: Unrated
64
In a hurry? These satisfying quesadillas take just 15 minutes to make. We like them with black beans, but pinto beans work well too. If you like a little heat, be sure to use pepper Jack cheese in the filling. Serve with: A little sour cream and a mixed green salad.
Portobello "Philly Cheese Steak" Sandwich

Portobello "Philly Cheese Steak" Sandwich

Rating: Unrated
52
Chilaquiles Casserole

Chilaquiles Casserole

Rating: Unrated
172
Avocado Hummus

Avocado Hummus

Rating: Unrated
5
Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip

Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip

Rating: Unrated
2

Slow-Cooker Vegetarian Lasagna

Rating: Unrated
45

Sure, the slow cooker's great for stews and soups, but it also happens to make a mean lasagna! In this ingenious slow-cooker recipe, all you have to do is chop your veggies, then layer the ingredients (raw) into the crockpot. Serve with: Garlic bread and a green salad.

All Healthy Low-Calorie Football Recipes

Broccoli-Cheese Chowder

Rating: Unrated
95
This satisfying remake of broccoli chowder benefits from the creamy texture of cooked potatoes and smooth, tangy reduced-fat sour cream instead of getting its richness from as much as a cup each of cream and cheese. Not only is the flavor vibrant, but a single serving gives you over half of the daily recommendation for vitamin C.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Coconut Shrimp with Creamy Dipping Sauce

Rating: Unrated
2
Our creamy, slightly spicy sauce pairs perfectly with this crispy coconut shrimp. The unsweetened coconut flakes get crunchy in the oven for the fried taste you love without the oily mess, plus they're better for you, too.
By Carolyn Casner

Thai Chicken Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Rating: Unrated
10
Spicy peanut sauce is the perfect match for these Thai-marinated grilled chicken strips.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Sweet & Sour Beef-Cabbage Soup

Rating: Unrated
37
This wholesome sweet-and-sour soup combines beef, caraway seeds, sweet paprika and cabbage--ingredients that star in a number of German dishes. It is particularly nice served with crusty rye bread. For an even heartier soup, add diced cooked potatoes along with the cabbage. Recipe by Nancy Baggett for EatingWell.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Avocado-Yogurt Dip

Rating: Unrated
3
Update your guacamole recipe by adding protein-packed yogurt to make a healthy dip recipe. For an extra kick, add minced jalapeño or your favorite hot sauce for some zing! Serve this healthy dip recipe with crunchy vegetables, pita chips or pretzels, or use as a sandwich spread.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Salmon Chowder

Rating: Unrated
31
The flavor of this salmon chowder is greatly enhanced by adding either fresh dill or dried tarragon: each herb lends its own distinctively different and appealing character to the soup. Even if you don't keep instant mashed potatoes in your pantry, it's worth picking some up for this soup. They give the soup a thick, chowder texture without any heavy cream or butter. Leftover mashed potatoes work too, but give a slightly less-velvety texture. Recipe by Nancy Baggett for EatingWell.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Lentil Burgers

Rating: Unrated
9
Walnuts and fresh marjoram accent these vegan lentil burgers. Substitute oregano for marjoram if you like. Serve with a smear of whole-grain mustard and roasted sweet potato wedges.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Creamy Buffalo Chicken Salad

Rating: Unrated
2
In this Buffalo wings-inspired chicken salad, Greek yogurt replaces more than half of the mayonnaise. We like the flavor of Frank's RedHot hot sauce, but Sriracha and Tabasco are delicious options too. Serve this healthy chicken salad as an open-face sandwich or scoop it on top of fresh salad greens.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Loaded Twice-Baked Potatoes

Rating: Unrated
53
Potatoes are one of the great comfort foods, especially when stuffed with a satisfying mixture of lean ground beef and broccoli florets plus reduced-fat sour cream and Cheddar cheese. Add a tossed salad and you have a healthy and hearty meal that will leave you feeling good.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Slow-Cooker Honey-Orange Chicken Drumsticks

Rating: Unrated
23
This slow-cooker chicken recipe makes a perfect alternative to standard tomato-based barbecued chicken. Both kids and adults will devour these drumsticks, doused in a honey-sweetened sauce spiked with orange, ginger and garlic.
By Carolyn Malcoun

Blackened Salmon Sandwich

Rating: Unrated
16
Blackened salmon is great in a sandwich with a spread of mashed avocado and low-fat mayonnaise plus peppery arugula leaves, cool tomato slices and zesty red onion. We grill our Cajun-style salmon so there is no need for any added cooking oil. Catfish makes an excellent stand-in for the salmon but you'll want to use a grill basket if you have one to keep the fish from breaking apart.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Quick Shrimp Enchilada Bake

Rating: Unrated
43
Shrimp enchiladas offer a taste of coastal Mexican cuisine but some versions contain so much cheese, butter and sour cream that they can pack a whopping 50 grams of fat per serving. Our version has vibrant flavor and only half the calories and 6 grams of fat per serving, plus we use precooked peeled shrimp so you can get the dish on your table fast enough for a weeknight supper. The addition of refried beans helps makes these enchiladas an excellent source of fiber as well.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Hasselback Pizza Bread

The Hasselback techinique--making crosswise cuts in a vegetable, fruit or in this case, a baguette, to create space for adding in additional flavors like cheese--turns whole-grain bread into a fast and easy pizza in this fun recipe. We like classic pepperoni and basil, but feel free to squeeze in your favorite toppings.
By Carolyn Casner

Fiery Snack Mix

Serve your guests a crunchy snack mix seasoned with sweet-and-spicy flavors. It mixes up fast and adds a festive note to any gathering.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Slow-Cooker Potato Soup

Rating: Unrated
2
This easy slow-cooker potato soup has all the good stuff you love on a potato--including bacon, cheese and scallions. Serve this loaded baked potato soup with a salad for an easy dinner--just 15 minutes of active prep time!--whenever you're in need of some serious comfort food. It would also be fun fare for a casual party. Serve it straight out of the slow cooker and set out bowls of toppings so everyone can assemble their own. You can easily make this soup vegetarian--just use vegetable broth and skip the bacon.
By Robin Bashinsky

Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

Rating: Unrated
11
Here's a simple recipe for low-fat vanilla ice cream. Our version has all the richness you'll need but about 90 fewer calories than store-bought premium ice cream and a whopping 15 grams less total fat and 10 grams less saturated fat per serving.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Classic Hamburger

Rating: Unrated
5
Slow-cooked onions add moisture and flavor to these lean beef burgers. A quick blend of mayonnaise, ketchup, relish and vinegar makes a perfect tangy, sweet and creamy “special sauce” for this burger. We love the dill relish here, but use sweet relish if you prefer it. Serve with sweet potato fries.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

Rating: Unrated
14
“Tortilla soup has a place, I feel, in practically every collection of Mexican recipes,” says Rick Bayless. This is a vegetarian version of the classic soup, usually made with chicken. Earthy dark pasilla chile flavors the soul-satisfying broth. (Recipe adapted from Rick Bayless.)
By Rick Bayless

Seafood Chowder Casserole

Rating: Unrated
14
New England seafood chowder inspired the flavors here, but we've enhanced them further with Gruyère cheese and a crispy crumb topping. We like the combination of shrimp, cod and crab, but feel free to experiment with other types of seafood--scallops, clams and mahi-mahi would also work well.
By Jessie Price

Spinach & Cheese Stuffed Shells

Rating: Unrated
9
Our stuffed shells are filled with spinach, sautéed onions and part-skim ricotta and topped with prepared marinara sauce and Parmesan cheese. The shells hold and reheat well, which makes them great for entertaining.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Spiced Chickpea "Nuts"

Rating: Unrated
24
When roasted in a hot oven, chickpeas become super crunchy. They're a great low-fat substitute for nuts when salty cravings hit.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Chili Cornbread Casserole

Rating: Unrated
25
Here's a fun way to serve chili and cornbread together. Don't let the ingredient list intimidate you--this casserole is easy to make and a real crowd pleaser.
By Jessie Price

Quick Posole

Rating: Unrated
1
In New Mexico and Arizona, posole is usually made with homemade pork stock and served at celebrations. For a quick weeknight meal, choose chicken and spice it with ground red chile and toasted oregano.
By Andrew Silva

Oven "Fries"

Rating: Unrated
15
Coated with olive oil and baked in a hot oven, these fries are soft and buttery inside and crisp on the outside--the perfect combination.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen
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