A greener Super Bowl party

After all that talk about eating less meat and being healthy, I’m in the mood for some gooey dips and hearty appetizers. Must be time for Super Bowl.

On the green spectrum, typical Super Bowl parties probably don’t fall on the eco-friendly end of things. Disposable plates. Plastic, one-time-use decorations (or at least once-a-year use). A giant energy-sucking TV blasting commercials that make us want products we don’t need.

But I don’t want to be a Grinch. It’s still fun to watch the game, eat until your belly aches and yell at the TV. So that you can live with yourself the next morning, though, here are some tips for greening up Super Bowl Sunday:

-Use real plates, silverware and cups and cloth napkins, not disposable ones. Can’t cope with the cleanup? Use plates made from recycled materials.

-Drink local beer (or wine). Recycle the bottles when you’re done or craft them into candle holders, tile or chandeliers (you get big-time bonus points from the green gods if you do that).

-Serve chicken wings made from local, free-range, organic chicken and sliders made from local, organic, grass-fed beef.

-Better yet, serve organic vegetables and bean dips.

-Put up decorations you can use year after year, like fabric pennant banners or a flag you hang over your front porch.

-Go outside during halftime. Play a game of flag football. Breathe in this gorgeous winter we’re having.

-Send e-mail invitations to your party instead of paper ones through snail mail.

-Turn down the thermostat, wear extra layers and stay warm by moving around during commercials. Also, invite a lot of people to your party to generate extra body heat—not to mention a happy community spirit.

OK, what’d I miss? What are your tips for a greener Super Bowl party?