Healthy Eating on Game Day: Two Touchdown-Worthy Recipes from Melaleuca’s R3 Program
The Big Game is back! And so is R3—your game plan for healthier living! And while Melaleuca can’t do anything about the rematch between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles (yes, again), we can help you make smarter choices when it comes to game-day food.
This Sunday will be one of the biggest snacking days of the year. The average American consumes more than 2,400 calories during the game alone—almost as much as the 2,764 points scored in every Super Bowl combined! And the total calorie intake for the day can hike up to 11,000! Between the endless snacks, high emotions, and hours of sitting, it’s easy to get sidelined by food choices you’ll regret come Monday.
Nutrition expert and Director of Melaleuca R3 Susan Torborg knows that game day doesn’t have to mean going out of bounds on your health goals. “I have learned that I can have just as much fun bringing healthy snacks to parties,” she says. “And other people enjoy them and often ask me for the recipes!”
With R3, you don’t have to choose between great food and smart nutrition. You can enjoy every minute of the big game and every bite of your meal. That’s why we’re sharing two incredible R3 Reset-friendly recipes that bring all the flavor. You can also find two R3-inspired recipes, pizza-stuffed zucchini boats and bell pepper nachos, from Melaleuca in this article.
R3 is Melaleuca’s proven weight loss and healthy living program, designed to help you reset your metabolism, recharge your energy, and reclaim your health—all without extreme dieting or deprivation. Built on three key phases—Reset, Reintroduce, and Real Life—R3 focuses on fueling your body with whole, nutritious foods while eliminating sugar spikes and empty calories. But it’s not just about losing weight; it’s about creating healthy habits that you can maintain as part of a healthy lifestyle.
“The Big Game is a time for me to get creative and introduce my friends and family to new, fun, and healthy recipes!” Susan says. “They may make jokes about what healthy foods Mom will be serving this year, but they’re always asking for more when the game is over!”
Healthy, Delicious Recipes for Game Day
R3 Sausage Bites
1 lb. ground breakfast sausage
1/4 cup ground nuts (your choice)
1/2 cup cooked bacon, chopped
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 package cream cheese, softened
Instructions:
- Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl, stir until
- Ingredient amounts can be adjusted based
- on preference.
- Using an ice cream scoop, place 24 evenly sized
- balls onto a cookie sheet, and roll until evenly shaped.
- Bake for 18 minutes or until cooked through.
Baked Zucchini Chips
1 large zucchini
1/2 tsp. salt, divided
Avocado oil spray (or 1–2 tsp. liquid oil)
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
Additional salt to taste and your favorite spices or seasonings
Instructions:
- Slice zucchini crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices.
- Arrange the zucchini in layers in a colander or sieve, sprinkling each layer with a little salt. Let drain one hour.
- Preheat the oven to 225˚F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Lay the zucchini slices out on a tea towel and pat dry with another tea towel. Place zucchini slices on the prepared baking sheets, close together but not touching. Spray lightly with the avocado oil spray or brush lightly with oil.
- Combine the paprika, pepper, and the remaining salt. Sprinkle over the tops of the zucchini.
- Bake 70–90 minutes, until dry, browned, and crisp, rotating sheets halfway through baking. If some chips crisp early, remove them from the pans and return the rest to the oven.
- Sprinkle with additional salt to taste. Serve immediately.
- Store in a covered container on the counter for up to 3 days. If they soften as they sit, simply recrisp them in a warm oven.
Have an R3-Inspired Game Day!
With these R3-inspired recipes, you’ll be ready to host a gameday party that’s as satisfying as it is healthy. And that’s just the beginning! The R3 cookbook is packed with over 170 delicious, Reset-friendly recipes to keep you on track no matter the occasion.
“Don’t let game day prevent you from staying on track with your healthy eating goals!” Susan encourages. “You can plan fun and delicious recipes your friends and family will love!”
So, while some fans debate Taylor Swift’s influence on football or if the Chiefs are the new team to hate, you can focus on what really matters—good food, good company, and good health!
Want to learn more? The R3 Program makes it easy to reset your habits, recharge your energy, and reclaim your health—without giving up the foods you love.