You might have heard that Thanksgiving is the biggest day of eating in the United States. But what day follows closely behind? Super Bowl Sunday! This year, treat your family and friends to some healthy foods instead of the typical high-sodium ones.

Put a Crock-Pot of chili on in the morning and it will be ready by game time. By using dried beans instead of canned, you’ll save about 500 milligrams of sodium. Serve the chili with a green salad and, for a special dessert, pass around homemade popcorn balls. You can relax and watch the game, knowing you have given your family and friends a healthy start to the new year!

Crock-Pot White Chicken Chili

1 cup dried great northern beans
1 cup dried black eyed peas
1 cup dried lima beans
1/2 cup dried small lima beans
8 cups water
2 pounds chicken breasts, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
2 medium onions, diced
3 tablespoons garlic
1-2 jalapeno chili peppers, minced or diced
1 chopped green bell pepper
2 tablespoons oil
2 cups frozen corn
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups light sour cream

The night before, rinse and sort dried beans. Soak in big bowl of water overnight. Drain. Put in the Crock-Pot, add 6-8 cups of water, or as much as your slow cooker will hold comfortably. Set temperature to low. Sauté onions, garlic, diced chicken and chili peppers in oil in a skillet for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Add to the pot with corn and spices. Let cook for 8-9 hours, until beans are tender. Before serving, stir in sour cream. Serve with low-sodium corn chips. Serves 10-14.

Nutrition Information: per 1-cup serving
Calories: 306
Fat: 9g
Protein: 25g
Carbohydrates: 32g
Sodium: 75mg

Game Time Popcorn Balls

18 cups popped popcorn
1/2 cup light corn syrup
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Butter the sides of a medium saucepan. Add water, syrup, vinegar and sugar to pan. Begin heating over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Bring to a boil. Continue to boil until mixture reaches 250 degrees, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Place popcorn in a large bowl. Pour syrup over popcorn. Stir until popcorn is coated. Let mixture cool until you can handle it with your hands. Butter your hands and shape popcorn in to 2-1/2-inch balls. Wrap in cellophane or plastic wrap. Optional: add a few drops of food coloring in your favorite team’s colors. Makes 18 popcorn balls.

Nutrition Information: per ball
Calories: 146
Carbohydrates: 36g
Protein: 1g
Sodium: 7mg

Katy G. Wilkens is a registered dietitian and department head at Northwest Kidney Centers. She has a Master of Science degree in nutritional sciences from the University of Washington.