December 27, 2001

Prairie Fare: Time Out for Snacks

By Julie Garden-Robinson, Food and Nutrition Specialist
NDSU Extension Service

I’ll admit it. I’m not the world’s greatest sports fan. Granted, I spent many a Saturday afternoon marching around football fields in an itchy wool band uniform. I’m not sure I always glanced up at the game from the bleachers.

In this season of "bowl games," fortunately I’m not a football widow, although my spouse watches an occasional game. I’m more of a stock car racing widow. Married to someone who grew up near Indianapolis, I should have anticipated this.

Some Sundays every TV in our house is tuned in to the sound of roaring engines narrowly missing each other as they chase each other around a convoluted path. It’s actually part of my exercise routine. I walk around the house turning down (or turning off) the TVs that aren’t being watched. Somehow they magically come back on.

Watching TV, however, isn’t a good form of physical activity, even if you hide the remote control. A 170-pound person expends 75 calories per hour while sitting and watching TV. That’s slightly better than sleeping, which burns 70 calories per hour. If a 170-pound person walks for an hour, that person will burn 310 calories.

For some reason, watching athletes expend lots of energy running across fields or dribbling around courts seems to make people hungry. TV time often becomes a major feasting opportunity, and many popular snack foods like chips, cheese sauce and candy bars are tasty but high in calories and fat. The football-viewing beverage of choice, too, packs about150 calories a can and could lead to a burgeoning belly.

An extra 3500 calories over time, without counterbalancing exercise, can add a pound of fat to your frame. Weight gain around the mid-section, giving an "apple with legs" appearance, is more common among males than females. This body shape has been shown to promote the development of heart disease and other health issues.

I’m certainly not going to suggest a menu of carrot and celery sticks for the "big game," but there are subtle ways to clip a few calories from the snack table. Instead of fried tortilla chips or potato chips, for example, opt for the baked variety. Serve plenty of salsa with the chips. It’s flavorful, virtually fat-free and contains only about 25 calories for a 3-tablespoon portion. And if you’re male, the health benefits of tomatoes in the diet are bountiful; the lycopene pigments that give tomatoes their red color have been shown to reduce the risk of prostate cancer.

If you love cheese, that’s good news for your bones because cheese is a good source of calcium. Opt for the lower fat varieties like farmer cheese or mozzarella, but step aside from the deep-fried mozzarella sticks. Crackers, of course, are good accompaniments to cheese. Choose whole grain crackers and check the label for fiber content.

If you prefer crunching on popcorn, sprinkle it with spices or Parmesan cheese instead of dousing with butter. For an ethnic twist, try pita bread with hummus. Opt for low-fat ice cream or yogurt if ice cream sets your heart racing.

Fruits and vegetables of all kinds are colorful and tasty additions to any table. If you like fruit or vegetable dip, use lower-fat versions of cream cheese or sour cream in the recipe. Try freezing grapes for a different sensation, or make fruit smoothies by combining orange juice, yogurt, a banana and some ice cubes in a blender until smooth.

Here’s a tasty recipe for one of my favorite appetizers. My grinning spouse, upon hearing about this week’s recipe, asked, "Why would any self-respecting stock car race watcher eat spinach balls?" I guess he’s never heard of Popeye. Maybe I’ll eat them all myself.

Spinach Balls

2 10 ounce packages frozen chopped spinach
2 cups stuffing mix
2 large onions, chopped fine
6 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Cook spinach according to package directions. Drain well. Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix ingredients and form into walnut-size balls. Bake on sprayed pan for about 20 minutes. To save time on party day, make ahead and freeze on cookie sheets; place in plastic bags when solidly frozen and bake later.

Makes about 24 appetizer servings, about 2 ounces each. Each serving contains 85 calories, 6 grams of fat and 42 percent of the daily recommendation for vitamin A (mainly from the carotenoids in the spinach).

###

Source: Julie Garden-Robinson, (701) 231-7187, jgardenr@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu