The Super Bowl of Super Foods (and some super super foods explanations)

Do you…do you see what I did there?

Because of The Sports?

My knowledge of football started at the title of this post and ended somewhere around that last sentence. So, needless to say (why do we always continue to say after we’ve deemed it needless?), I’m everyone’s favorite guest at Super Bowl parties. And I’m pretty positive that if I were to bring this bowl of super foods to a Super Bowl party, I would be asked/encouraged/who-do-you-even-know-here?-ed to leave. But I’d be all like, “Watch my nearly 3x-as-much-Vitamin-A satisfied self with out-of-this-world-antioxidants not give a shit in spite of my digestive system being top notch! And also I know Larry!”

So what I’m saying is, don’t bring this to a Super Bowl party. Unless you’ve always wanted Larry to look bad. Fucking Larry. (Has anyone ever actually met a Larry? That isn’t a Golden Retriever, I mean?) But I would have no qualms with eating this Super Bowl every Sunday. It’s got all sorts of good things in there. Super things, if you will. And I have, like 15 to 20 times already.

Here’s a breakdown of the Super Foods in this Super Bowl:

Black Bean Spaghetti

If you have a pasta craving from time to time, Explore Asian Black Bean Spaghetti is about the best solution out there. Aided by the goodness of black beans, this spaghetti has 12g of fiber and only 17g of carbs per serving. If you’re keeping score at home, that’s only 5g of net-carbs. Plus 25g of protein/serving is entirely absurd. It’s like this spaghetti is made out of meat. Meatghetti. Or black beans.

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are the Aspirin of the potato world. And there is a fucking world of potatoes. A world. Vitamin C also makes an appearance along with some more fiber. (I HEARD YOU LIKE FIBER SO I PUT FIBER IN YOUR FIBER.) There’s also Vitamin D which is apparently a very good for weight control and very much hard to get in your diet naturally. There’s Iron for my fellow ladies out there (hey, ladies) and Vitamin B6 (I have no jokes for that).

Broccoli

I like that so many superfoods are foods that children can’t stand. Because, you know, the children are our future until they waste away at a young age due to vitamin deficiencies that they could have prevented by not being such little pricks. Anyways, broccoli. Vitamin K! There’s one you don’t hear everyday! And more of that Vitamin D we apparently cannot, as a people, get enough of. Plus Vitamins A and C and duh. Broccoli is one of the goodest good guys.

Beets

Beets have all of those good things I’ve already mentioned from sweet potatoes and broccoli plus, according to one single things I read, they keep you sane. And make you feel ready for sexy time. Really, the two things should go hand in hand. In a perfect world.

Kale + Pistachio Pesto

Kale is wonderful proponent for all things Vitamin A, C, Calcium, and even some more fiber and protein. This leafy little fucker has antioxidants for days. Apparently, pistachios are the new “it” nut because of their ability to lower bad cholesterol, increase the good kind of cholesterol, and the boost of Vitamin E they punch. They punch you right in the face with Vitamin E. Right. In. The. Face.

Red Bell Peppers

It’s just a garnish on this recipe because I like crunchy stuff but a little red bell pepper can’t hurt! Even more Vitamins C, A, K, and B. So many vitamins. So little time. JK. It’s all in one bowl. SO CONVENIENT.

SUPER BOWL of SUPER FOODS
serves 4

ingredients:

• 2 cups of broccoli florets
• 1 large raw beet, cubed
• ½ to 1 sweet potato, cubed
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ – 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• ground black pepper
• cooking spray
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• Explore Asian Black Bean Spaghetti

KALE PESTO

• 2 packed cups of chopped kale
• ¼ cup toasted pistachios
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• ¼ cup almond milk
• 4 cherry tomatoes
• salt and pepper to taste

suuuuper, thanks for asking!

Preheat your oven to 400. Line a baking dish with parchment paper or tin foil. Set aside.

In a large bowl, t0ss your broccoli and sweet potato chunks with some spritzes of cooking spray, the garlic and onion powders, paprika, and salt and pepper. Do this to the beets in a separate bowl to avoid staining all your veggies red. Arrange them in one layer in the prepped baking dish. Lightly spritz the veggies with cooking spray a final time and sprinkle a couple dashes of extra seasoning. Roast for 30 or so minutes, depending on how small you cut your veggies, or until the beets and potatoes have softened.

While your veggies are in the oven get to getting to pesto. Combine all the pesto ingredients in a food processor and process that goodness. Add extra liquid if you like and feel free to adjust the seasonings as you go.

When you have about ten minutes left on your veggies, start some water boiling and cook your spaghetti til tender. Toss the spaghetti with the veggies and the pesto. Top with diced red bell pepper for crunch! Football! The Sports!

NUTRITION BREAKDOWN
(are you ready for this? I hope you’re ready for this.)

1  Super Bowl of Super Foods = 2oz noodles + 1/4 veggies + 50 to 60g pesto = 342 calories // 43g carbs (24g net-carbs) // 6g fat // 33g protein // 19 g fiber // 14g sugar // 288% Vitamin A // 188% Vitamin C // 30% Calcium // 50% iron

Tags: appetizer, beets, bell peppers, black bean, broccoli, brooklyn, cooking, dairy-free, diet, dinner, easy, Explore Asian Black bean Spaghetti, food, football, gluten-free, health food, healthy, high protein, kale, low calorie, lunch, meal, new york, nutrition, nutritional yeast, nuts, oil-free, pesto, pistachios, protein, savory, servings, skinny, snack, super bowl, super foods, sweet potato, vegan, vegetables, vegetarian