{"id":4559,"date":"2019-01-29T20:22:46","date_gmt":"2019-01-30T01:22:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dinnertime.com\/content\/?p=4559"},"modified":"2019-01-29T20:22:46","modified_gmt":"2019-01-30T01:22:46","slug":"game-on-your-guide-to-throwing-the-best-big-game-party","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/2019\/01\/29\/game-on-your-guide-to-throwing-the-best-big-game-party\/","title":{"rendered":"Game on! Your guide to throwing the best “Big Game” party"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Yes, it\u2019s that time of year again when two football teams battle it out for the championship. For those cheering for their home teams, it\u2019s an extra special event. Serious bragging rights are on the line!<\/p>\n

For the rest of us 100+ million viewers, it\u2019s more about celebrating this national pastime with a kickin\u2019 party! \u00a0Score your own win with great food, fun friends, and a few extra activities (for those who aren\u2019t as intent on catching every minute of the game).<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Parties can be quite challenging for those watching their calories or sticking to a healthy eating strategy.\u00a0 Just as you would at any party, take control for yourself by mindfully navigating the food and beverage options to make healthy choices.<\/p>\n

Your playbook for a victorious football party<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Food:<\/strong>\u00a0The spread is a major player at football parties.\u00a0In all the excitement, there can be\u00a0a tendency to overindulge, but that doesn\u2019t mean you<\/em> have to. Here are some guidelines:<\/h3>\n
    \n
  1. Watch your portions. No need to consume more than you actually need.<\/li>\n
  2. Keep the “fixins\u201d on your chili light. Those extra calories add up quickly!<\/li>\n
  3. Skip the chips. Stick to the raw and roasted veggies. Better yet, offer to bring a veggie tray and make a delicious lower calorie dip. See our suggestions below or search “game” in your DinnerTime<\/a>\u00a0Recipe Box<\/a>\u00a0for more ideas.<\/li>\n
  4. Move away from the food.\u00a0 Just because it’s there, doesn\u2019t mean you have to eat it!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Friends:<\/strong>\u00a0It\u2019s fun to get together with good friends to watch the game.<\/h3>\n
      \n
    1. Hosting a party in your home rather than watching at the bar gives you an opportunity to include children\u00a0in the party. Provide a football\u00a0craft area<\/a> or other kid-friendly activities<\/a> so the parents can relax and watch the game.<\/li>\n
    2. If you are at a restaurant\/bar, make a few new friends. There\u2019s a sense of camaraderie that occurs when watching sports and you never know who you’ll meet under these\u00a0friendly circumstances!
      \n<\/li>\n
    3. Set up a football pool<\/a> to spice up the contest. If your state doesn\u2019t allow winners to receive cash, just think up something else fun to win!<\/li>\n
    4. Play a guessing game with\u00a0fun facts<\/a> such as \u201cThe odds of the home team winning?\u201d or \u201cHow many cameras will NBC use to capture the game?\u201d<\/li>\n
    5. Concentrate on your friends, not on the food.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Activities:<\/strong>\u00a0Not everyone is a big football fan, so having some conversation starters and activities ensures everyone is part of the action.<\/h3>\n
        \n
      1. Run a contest of how many football related films<\/a> everyone can name. (\u2018Remember the Titans\u2019, \u2018Brian\u2019s Song\u2019, ‘The Longest Yard’, …)<\/li>\n
      2. Put on a family friendly football movie, such as \u2018Rudy\u2019, in another room for those who may not want to watch the game.<\/li>\n
      3. Vote on favorite ads. Thirty second advertisements cost $5 million and up. That\u2019s more than $166,000 per second!<\/li>\n
      4. Before the game starts, screen last year\u2019s top ads<\/a>. Which were everyone\u2019s favorites?\u00a0What are the most memorable selections from past years <\/a>(Mean Joe Green!)?<\/li>\n
      5. Rank the top halftime entertainment show from prior years (Beyonc\u00e9, Bruno Mars, U2, Prince…). Will there be any costume snafus this year with Maroon 5? We\u2019ve come a long way from marching bands!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Regardless of who wins, end the evening by congratulating the winning team\u2019s fans, and consoling the losers. Make sure your friends are safe to drive home.<\/p>\n

        Score and serve these fan-favorite recipes at your football party!<\/h2>\n

        New England recipes vs LA recipes, anyone?<\/em><\/h2>\n
        \n
        \n
        New England Clam Chowder Dip<\/a><\/h5>\n
        \"\"<\/a><\/h5>\n
        “Touchdown’ with this take on a New England classic!<\/h5>\n

        <\/div>\n

        \n
        Homemade
        \nBoston Baked Beans<\/a><\/h5>\n
        \"\"<\/a><\/h5>\n
        A traditional fan-favorite.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n
        \n
        Lobster Mac
        \nand Cheese<\/a><\/h5>\n
        \"\"<\/a><\/h5>\n
        Pronounced “Lobstah”, this dish is a winner.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
        \n
        \n
        Guacamole\u00a0with Chips<\/a><\/h5>\n
        \"\"<\/a><\/h5>\n
        Can’t beat this yummy dip!<\/h5>\n

        <\/div>\n

        \n
        Massaged Kale Salad<\/a><\/h5>\n
        \"\"<\/a><\/h5>\n
        Win extra points with this tender salad.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n
        \n
        Easy Chicken Street-Tacos<\/a><\/h5>\n
        \"\"<\/a><\/h5>\n
        Your fans will sure to love these delicious tacos.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Yes, it\u2019s that time of year again when two football teams battle it out for the championship. For those cheering for their home teams, it\u2019s an extra special event. Serious bragging rights are on the line! For the rest of… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1691,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4559"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4559"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4559\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1691"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4559"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4559"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4559"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}