By: Lauren McRae

What's better than cheering on your favorite team along with the whole country this Sunday? Munching on your favorite snacks! Here are our 5 winner-dips for game day that won't crash your diet.

Here, Alyssa Carlson, Clinical Dietitian Specialist at NorthShore's Department of Clinical Nutrition, fills us in on some healthy options: 

Buffalo Hummus 
Contains all the goodness of traditional hummus - with chickpeas, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and seasoning, plus "buffalo" hot sauce! And, lots of blue cheese if that's your thing, too.

How is it healthy? Chickpeas, the main ingredient, is high in protein, fiber (particularly soluble fiber to help reduce cholesterol), which promotes satiety to help prevent overeating. Look to pair this hummus with filling, low-calorie, options such as sliced veggies or whole-grain crackers. 

Ingredients: 

• 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1/4 cup water (or 2 tablespoons water + 2 tablespoons olive oil)
• 1/4 cup tahini
• (optional) 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 4–8 tbsp. hot sauce*, to taste
• 2 tbsp. freshly-squeezed lemon juice
• 1.5 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
• (Optional toppings: olive oil, chopped roasted red peppers, thinly-sliced green onions, extra crumbled blue cheese)

Instructions: 

1. Combine all ingredients together in a food processor or blender. Pulse to smooth, creamy, buffalo-y perfection. Start with a medium amount of hot sauce, and then add more to taste. 
2. Scoop the hummus out of the blender and serve it in your favorite dish. Opt to serve with some olive oil, chopped roasted red peppers, a squeeze of lemon juice, blue cheese, or green onions. 

 Recipe adapted from Gimmesomeoven.com.

Vegan Nacho Cheese 
Do you like cheese but not all the dairy and the calories? Try this cheese-less dip that tastes just like cheese! Instead, it's made with potatoes and carrots. Make sure you're using a high-powered blender, not a conventional blender or the dip won't turn out smooth. 

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup white potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1/2 cup carrots, peeled and cubed
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup non-dairy milk
• 2 tsp. lemon juice
• 6 pickled jalapeño slices
• 3 tbsp. jalapeño pickle brine
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 1/2 tsp. arrowroot flour (you can substitute with cornstarch) 
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tbsp. nutritional yeast
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt

Instructions: 

1. Boil the potatoes and carrots for 10 minutes in a bot of water. Drain them from the boiling water and add them to a high-powered blender immediately. If you cook the potatoes for too long, they will become starchy and your sauce will not be smooth. 
2. Add the remaining ingredients to the blender and combine until smooth. 
3. Serve your dip over whole-grain chips, chili, broccoli, or cauliflower. 

Yogurt Queso with Cilantro Cream 
If cheese is your thing though, try this yogurt-y dip that's tangy and tasty. While this recipe has some high-fat foods (butter, whole milk) these promote satiety (just avoid overeating). Look to further reduce saturated fat in parts of this recipe by using reduced-fat yogurt, and/or reduced-fat cheese. The use of yogurt will give you an added calcium boost, which maintains strong bones, protein, and probiotics for gut health. 

Ingredients: 

• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1/2 small purple onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped, plus more for serving
• 1/2 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole milk
• 4 oz jack cheese, shredded
• 1 cup greek yogurt (whole, 2%, or fat-free), divided
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
• 1/4 bunch cilantro, finely chopped, plus more for serving
• salt and pepper, tt 

Instructions: 

1. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until soft, about 7-10 minutes. 
2. Stir in the flour and continue cooking for another minute. 
3. Add the milk and cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. 
4. Add the cheese, stirring, until melted, then add 2/3 cup of yogurt, cayenne, crushed red pepper, a few turns of pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Adjust your seasonings as desired. 

To make the cilantro cream: 

1. Mix the cilantro with the remaining 1/3 cup of yogurt, a pinch of salt, and a few turns of pepper.
2. Serve the queso warm with the cilantro cream dolloped in the center. Top with additional fresh cilantro, chopped bell pepper, black pepper, and a sprinkle of cayenne. Serve!

Recipe adapted from mynameisyeh.com.

Whipped Artichoke & Feta Dip 
A traditional-dip go-to, but oh so good! And, it's only 5 ingredients! 

Ingredients: 

• 5 cloves of garlic 
• 1/2 cup of crumbled feta cheese 
• 1 block of low-fat cream cheese 
• 1 can of artichoke hearts 
• salt and pepper, tt 

Instructions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
2. Add 5 peeled cloves of garlic to a food processor. Process until minced.
3. Add 1/2 cup of feta and run the processor until it’s whipped and fluffy.
4. Add 1 block, in pieces, of softened low-fat cream cheese, 1 tsp. of salt and pepper to taste.
5. Chop 1 can of artichoke hearts into large chunks and add them to the bowl of the food processor. Pulse until they are broken down into small pieces.
6. Scrape the mixture into a baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve! 

Recipe adapted from deliciousonadime.com. 

Guacamole 

Serving size: 1/4 cup
Recipe makes 10 servings  

Ingredients:

• 3 ripe avocados, halved, seeded, and peeled
• 1 Roma tomato, diced
• ½ of a medium onion, diced
• 1 serrano pepper, seeded and minced
• 1 tbsp. cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 lime, juiced
• Salt, tt
• 2 cups of carrot sticks (for dipping)
• 2 cups of jicama sticks (for dipping) 

Instructions:

1. Place avocado pulp in a large bowl and mash. 
2. Fold tomato, onion, peppers, cilantro, and lime juice into the avocado. 
3. Serve with veggies like tomatoes and carrots!