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Did you know that Americans consume 27 billion calories from just potato chips alone on Super Bowl Sunday?
Or that we ate 1.23 billion chicken wings during the game last year?
Or that more than $1 billion was spent on alcohol?
Or that in 2010, 40 percent of fatalities on the day of the big game were the result of drunk driving?
Those are some mind-boggling numbers and surely ought to serve as a reminder to drink in moderation and ride with a designated driver or call a cab if you've been indulging.
But what about the snacks? Have you ever been to a Super Bowl party stocked only with healthy food? Would you, could you enjoy such a party?
What would you serve? Instead of taco dip, maybe whole grain chips and guacamole? Instead of a meat-laden pizza, maybe a green salad with a nice mix of nuts, shaved carrots, cucumber slices and a reasonable serving of dressing? Maybe a dash of goat cheese for some zest?
A number of online resources can help cut the calories and fat out of a meal of unwieldy and unrecommended proportions (and portions).
For example, The Daily Green has some tips for cutting 1,700 calories from your Bowl snacking.
There are also healthier Super Bowl snack recipes at WholeLiving.com and EatingWell.com. Even CNN has some suggestions.
I guess you could also fast for a couple days before and after to make up for that annual caloric explosion, but even that's probably not the greatest of ideas. Moderation, folks. Moderation.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.