Sea Gals offer a few recipes to try on game day

Here’s a new stat to think about when you’re planning the menu for Super Bowl Sunday: The American Institute of Food Distribution says it’s the second-largest day of food consumption behind Thanksgiving.

And just when it was beginning to feel like those healthy-eating resolutions weren’t so hard to keep.

Seahawks drill team members and The Dairy Farmers of Washington have a few tips and recipes to help you choose healthy snacks for your guests. For starters:

Use reduced-fat cheese or fat-free sour cream

Eat pretzels instead of chips

Offer plenty of veggies and fruit

Take a walk around the block at halftime

Create dips using nonfat plain yogurt as a base

Put out a low-fat party mix of whole grain cereals and nuts

You can find 12 healthy recipes created for the Super Bowl at www.seagalsnacks.net. Here are a few to get the party started:

Megan’s First Down Fruit Dip

1/3 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel

1 tablespoon orange juice

1/2 cup vanilla low-fat yogurt

Assorted cut-up fresh fruit

For dip, combine ricotta cheese, sugar, orange peel and orange juice in a blender or food processor. Cover and blend or process until smooth. Stir cheese mixture into the yogurt. If desired, cover and chill up to 24 hours. Serve with assorted fresh fruit.

Yield: 2 servings

Approximate nutrition per serving: 136 calories, 4 grams fat (2 grams saturated, 26 percent fat calories), 8 grams protein, 18 grams carbohydrate, 16 milligrams cholesterol, no dietary fiber, 91 milligrams sodium.

Shelly’s Wideout Quesadilla Wedges

1 bag (16 ounces) frozen pepper stir-fry blend (green, red and yellow peppers and onions)

1/4 cup barbecue sauce

1/2 cup light ranch dressing

1 tablespoon butter, softened

8 flour tortillas (8-inch)

1 cup prepared barbecue shredded beef

3/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Prepare stir-fry pepper blend according to package directions. Mix barbecue sauce and ranch dressing and set aside. Spread butter evenly on 1 side of each tortilla and layer barbecue beef, peppers and onions, and cheese evenly on unbuttered side of 4 tortillas and cover with remaining tortillas, butter side up. Grill each quesadilla in large skillet over medium heat for 3 minutes on each side or until golden and cheese melts. Cut into wedges and serve with barbecue ranch dipping sauce.

Note: For fajita-ranch quesadillas, layer cooked peppers and onions, thawed fajita chicken strips and cheese on grilled flour tortillas. Serve with a dip comprised of equal parts salsa and ranch sauce.

Yield: 8 servings

Approximate nutrition per serving: 340 calories, 15 grams fat (6 grams saturated, 39 percent fat calories), 15 grams protein, 37 grams carbohydrate, 35 milligrams cholesterol, 3 grams dietary fiber, 720 milligrams sodium.

Gena’s Touchdown Taco Salad

1/2 pound lean ground beef

11/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1/2 cup salsa, divided

8 cups salad greens

1 cup chopped tomato

11/2 cups black beans

Brown beef in large nonstick skillet; remove from heat. Drain the beef to reduce fat content. Stir in 1 cup shredded cheese and 1/4 cup salsa; mix until blended. Spoon onto serving platter. In a large bowl, toss together salad greens, tomatoes, black beans and remaining cheese and salsa. Spoon salad over meat mixture and serve.

Yield: 8 servings

Nutrition information per serving: 180 calories, 10 grams fat (5 grams saturated, 50 percent fat calories), 14 grams protein, 10 grams carbohydrate, 35 milligrams cholesterol, 4 grams dietary fiber, 300 milligrams sodium.