10 Wholesome Super Bowl Snacks to Complement Your Plate of Fried Delights

Don’t underestimate the humble salsa and chips starter. A well-made salsa is full of flavor and loaded with vegetables, providing a delightful contrast to the inevitable guacamole and queso. For an extra twist, try this roasted salsa that even shines with lackluster winter tomatoes.

Beef chili is a classic, but it’s time we show some love for the turkey version. Turkey packs in the protein like beef, but with less fat. (Chicken chili verde could also be a solid alternative.) If you're thinking of swapping turkey into your favorite chili recipe, how about trying this chaotic pizza chili? Mytour Senior Food Editor Claire Lower describes it as 'a fun chili, a party chili, a chili made for game days,' so I’d say it’s definitely worth the shot. Mixing turkey with pepperoni—or going all out with turkey and turkey pepperoni—will only heighten the excitement.

Let’s take a second look at those sad carrot and celery sticks that seem to mysteriously appear whenever Buffalo wings are around. You don’t have to rely on a little cup of ranch or bleu cheese dressing; that ranch will just end up on someone's pizza anyway. Instead, whip up a delicious bowl of homemade hummus, or elevate the store-bought variety by serving it in a big dish and garnishing with extra seasonings or vegetables (like finely chopped roasted red peppers) on top.

Speaking of vegetable-based dips, have you tried baba ganoush? It’s quite similar to hummus in many ways (it features tahini, often garlic, and olive oil; it pairs wonderfully with pitas) but is made with eggplant rather than chickpeas. Serve it alongside the hummus, fresh veggies, and pita chips for a delicious spread.

I may have suggested we were avoiding fried foods, but the green bean deserves an exception. If you’re already using the deep fryer for anything else, make sure to throw in some fried green beans too. There are countless variations of this dish to try (oven-baked, air-fried, battered, breadcrumb-coated), or you can experiment with this Sichuan dry-fried version.

Boneless wings aren’t technically wings, but they are made from chicken and coated in wing sauce. In my opinion, that’s close enough to count as delicious. Sauce-covered chunks of chicken breast, whether fried or not, are a fantastic addition to your game day spread, and they also work wonderfully in wraps or salads if you’re craving something that feels more like a meal than just a snack.

Tacos. Simple and perfect. These can be as light and vegetable-packed or as rich and cheesy as you prefer, and there’s no reason you can’t combine both styles, or let your guests create their own taco adventure. Set up a taco bar with chicken, veggies, beans, and shells, alongside a variety of salsas, sauces, and toppings. Pro tip: if you choose hard shells, make sure to place cheese at the bottom to prevent them from cracking.

If you're looking for another dipping option for veggies, chips, or other snacks, give a yogurt-based dip a try, like this horseradish dip, which is quick to prepare and made with horseradish and garlic. Yogurt dips generally offer better macros than traditional versions, but more importantly, they’re just delicious.

No matter what you stuff into a bell pepper, you can’t ignore the fact that you’ve just handed each guest a whole pepper. (And yes, one pepper counts as 1/3 of the vegetables we should be eating daily, though most of us don't actually manage to hit that mark.) Common fillings include rice, meat, cheese, and often some kind of tomato for added moisture and flavor. The great part? You can customize them: skip the rice, choose your preferred meat or meat alternative, or throw in some extra veggies if that’s your thing.