And What Will You Serve during the Super Bowl?

As Americans gather around their TVs Sunday night to watch Super Bowl XLVII, there will be one thing on their minds: Do we have enough dip?

Big games like the one this Sunday between the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers, need food to make them go well. Whether or not you are a fan of either team -- and remember I am located in Pittsburgh, you just have to have some of your favorites sitting on the coffee table to be gobbled down whoever wins.

Fans will be chowing down on wings, salsa, chicken fingers, soft pretzels, Empanadas, hot dogs, beef satay and dips -- lots of dips, but it's time to be a little more creative and sneak some healthy snacks in with the rest. Choosing from bowls of fruit, dishes filled with nuts, vegetable trays, and low fat crackers and chips will help reduce your guilt factor come Monday morning when you think of all you ate the night before.


So by all means enjoy the game, but be sure to add some healthy choices to your Big Game menu.

Buying local? Join a CSA club

The other day I was in the grocery store, buying my normal stuff: bananas, apples, grapes, squash. I also like to buy some of the vegetables that have already been chopped up, something that Trader Joe's and Whole Foods began as a practice.

But then in the bagged lettuce aisle, I saw bags containing collard and turnip greens and thought that it was time I started buying these healthy greens and using them to cook.

One way to accomplish this would be to join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) Club near home and enjoy new and healthy foods weekly during the growing season.

A CSA works this way: A group of people purchase a "share" (also called a membership or subscription) and receive a weekly basket of fresh vegetables and fruits, along with bread, eggs and meat depending on the farm. Costs for the memberships vary, depending on how many pounds of  produce you want delivered each week.

To learn more, search on the internet for "CSA clubs (your town)".

Bring on the kale, and mustard greens and the spinach!