6 Cancer-Friendly, Super Food Recipes for Super Bowl Parties

To help patients with cancer, their friends and families avoid filling up on junk food during Super Bowl 56, CURE® recently teamed with registered dietitians who specialize in caring for patients undergoing treatment to offer healthier alternatives than those foods normally served during the big game.

Here, as part of our Heal at Home series, we provide everyone with six delicious recipes to help them score a big win with their friends, while maintaining a healthy diet.

Running Back Ranch Dip

Ingredients:

1/3 cup light mayo

1/3 cup sour cream

1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt (Fage is a good brand)

1/2 tsp minced garlic

4 parsley sprigs

1/4 tsp dill

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp lemon juice

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and serve.

This is a great dip to eat with raw vegetables, and the Greek yogurt increases the protein content in a day that’s typically full of junk food! If you are in a pinch you can use Ranch seasoning mix with 1 part mayo, 1 part sour cream, and 1 part plain Greek yogurt.

Halftime Hummus

Ingredients:

1 can chickpeas

1 garlic clove

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp tahini

1/3 cup low sodium chicken broth

1/2 tsp sea salt (or a tad more for taste)

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp black pepper

Optional: red pepper flakes — for a little extra spice!

Directions:

Put all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth. If too thick, add more chicken broth or olive oil.

Keep in mind, olive oil will increase the calorie total of the hummus, but it is a healthy fat. And chickpeas are one of our favorite ingredients to use because they are filled with vitamins, nutrients and fiber!

Seven Layer Dip? Score!

Ingredients:

1 can refried beans

1 can rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies

2 tsp chili powder

3/4 tsp ground cumin

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 medium avocados

1 1/2 Tbsp lime juice

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

6 oz sour cream

6 oz plain Greek yogurt

1/2 can black olives

2 small roma tomatoes, diced

1 cup shredded light cheddar and Monterey cheese

1/3 cup sliced green onions

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, stir together refried beans, canned tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, 1 minced garlic clove, salt and pepper and spread into a 7 by 11 baking dish.

2. Mash the avocado and lime juice together and add in the cilantro and 1 minced garlic clove. Spread this on top of the bean mixture into baking dish.

3. Mix sour cream and plain greek yogurt together and then spread over the avocado layer.

4. Sprinkle with cheese, black olives, diced tomatoes, and green onions.

Seven-layer dips are great for game-day. Beans, tomato, avocados, all in typical recipes, have fiber, protein, healthy fats. Adding the Greek yogurt adds in some beneficial probiotics making it good for your gut, while cutting back on unwanted fats.

The Winning Baked Buffalo Cauliflower Wings

Ingredients:

1 Large head of cauliflower (washed, cored, and broken into 1.5-2 inch florets)

¾ cup of flour

1 cup of milk or water

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp paprika

¾ tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

Cooking spray

½ cup hot sauce (Such as Frank’s Red Hot)

2 tbsp coconut oil (melted)

1 tbsp honey

½ tbsp lemon juice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Grease a baking sheet with cooking spray or line it with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, whisk flour, milk, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper until batter is smooth. Add cauliflower to batter and toss to coat.

3. Spread cauliflower onto the prepared baking sheet in a single layer with space between them. Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned, about 20 to 25 minutes, flipping over halfway through.

4. In another small bowl, combine the hot sauce, honey, melted oil and lemon juice until well blended. Brush the buffalo sauce mixture on the cauliflower.

5. Return to the oven and bake until they start to brown, about 15-20 minutes.

6. Serve hot with choice of dressing, celery and carrots, if desired.

After a cancer diagnosis a patient or survivor might want to eat lighter, and some even cut out meat completely. This is the perfect alternative to keep your diet healthy, while enjoying a classic Super Bowl snack!

These healthy “wings” bringing too much heat. We’ve got you covered with our next recipe!

Greek Yogurt Blue Cheese Defensive Dip

Ingredients:

½ – ¾ cup crumbled blue cheese

1/3 cup buttermilk (or more for thinner consistency)

¾ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 - 2 teaspoons garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Mix together all ingredients until well combined but still chunky. Serve and enjoy!

The perfect teammate to our baked cauliflower wings! This recipe will give the creaminess of your favorite store-bought Ranch dip — without the extra guilt.

End Zone Everything Bagel Dip

Ingredients:

4 ounces whipped cream cheese

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons everything bagel seasoning, plus extra for topping

1-2 tbsp milk as needed for consistency

Note: Full-fat dairy ingredients may be substituted for reduced fat or fat free.

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and sprinkle with additional everything bagel seasoning on top. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

2. Serve with your favorite chips or vegetables.

This dip is a great substitute for other dips out on the Super Bowl table that might be too heavy to digest. And of course, it includes another one of our favorite ingredients to incorporate, greek yogurt, a great source of protein to maintain a healthy body weight!

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