Give your Super Bowl pizza a healthy twist with cranberry and barbecue chicken

It’s right up there with Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve – Super Bowl Sunday is one of the biggest calorie fests of the year. Chicken wings, nachos, chips, dips, and spreads are game-day favorites for sports fans. But pizza, now that’s a staple. According to Domino’s website, more than 11 million slices of pizza will be sold on Super Bowl Sunday.

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Traditional game day munchies can derail the healthiest eating intentions. If you’re 
hosting a party today, help your health-conscious guests with these simple tips.

• Buy baked. When purchasing potato or tortilla chips, grab baked or reduced fat versions.
• Veg out. Have plenty of fresh vegetables chopped and ready to munch.  They’re great with light dips, salsa, and hummus.
• De-fat dips. When preparing creamy dips that contain sour cream, mayonnaise or cream cheese, opt for reduced-fat versions of those ingredients.
• Portion patrol. Help your guests control portion sizes by providing small plates to hold their munchies. And, if snacks are placed on a kitchen or dining room table, pull the chairs away so party-goers can’t plant themselves in front of the food.
• Location, location, location. Placing snacks within arm’s reach of the recliner encourages mindless eating. Help your guests make snacking a conscious activity by placing treats away from the immediate television viewing area.  

If you’re looking for a healthier pizza to serve, try our Cranberry Barbecue Chicken 
Pizza. It’s a great way to use up extra cranberry sauce that might be in the pantry from 
Thanksgiving. You can also cut this pizza into smaller squares for delicious, bite-size 
appetizers.

Darlene Zimmerman is a registered dietitian in Henry Ford Hospital’s Heart & Vascular 
Institute. For questions about today’s recipe, call 313-972-1920.
 

Cranberry Barbecue Chicken Pizza

Makes: 8 slices / Prep time: / Total time:

1 pound pizza dough
1 tablespoon cornmeal
¾ cup cranberry sauce
¼ cup barbecue sauce
1 cup cooked, diced, skinless chicken breast
¼ cup green pepper, diced
¼ cup red onion, diced
¾ cup (3 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Dust a large baking sheet with cornmeal. Press pizza dough into a 12-inch circle on sheet. Allow dough to rest while preparing pizza 
toppings. In a small saucepan, heat cranberry sauce and barbecue sauce over 
medium-low heat until cranberry sauce is melted and well combined. Set aside, 
allowing sauce to cool.

Spread pizza dough with ⅓ cup cranberry barbecue 
sauce. Add diced chicken breast to remaining sauce and stir to coat. Top dough 
with chicken and sauce, green pepper, onion, and mozzarella and Parmesan 
cheese. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted 
and lightly golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.

Adapted from recieperunner.com by Darlene Zimmerman, MS, RD, for Heart Smart and tested by Susan Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.

256 calories (14% from fat), 4 grams fat (1 gram sat. fat, 0 grams trans fat), 40 grams carbohydrates, 14 grams protein, 307 mg sodium, 24 mg cholesterol, 114 mg calcium, 1 gram fiber. Food exchanges: 2 ½ starch, 1 lean meat.