Super Bowl Snacks Aren't Free
If you really get into the Super Bowl, you probably won't think about how much you eat during the game.
But maybe you should.
Charles Stuart Platkin, author of "The Diet Detective's Count Down," knows exactly what it takes to work off those Super Bowl snacks.
In his book, the nutrition and public health advocate translates food into exercise, with charts that break down the number of calories, fats, and carbohydrates in more than 7,500 popular foods and drinks into the minutes of walking, running, biking, swimming, yoga or dance needed to burn them off.
On The Early Show Thursday, Platkin looked at five common snacks:
HANDFUL OF DORITOS = 43 TOUCHDOWN DANCES IN THE END ZONE
Chips are pretty expensive, calorically. A handful of Cooler Ranch Doritos: 140 calories.
TIP: Eat one at a time, and don't put out huge bowls of them — make it so you have to get up each time you want more than six chips.
FOUR BEERS = 64 MINUTES OF CLIMBING STADIUM STAIRS
Yes, beer has calories, about 150 for 12 ounces.
TIP: There are some great light beers out there. Do a taste test before the game.
TW0 PIECES OF FRIED CHICKEN = DOING "THE WAVE" 3,220 TIMES
One deep-fried chicken breast and one thigh are about 660 calories.
TIP: Make your own chicken with breading. Go skinless and bake it instead of frying.
THREE TORTILLA CHIPS TOPPED WITH 7-LAYER DIP = RUNNING 22.5 FOOTBALL FIELDS
This is a serious dip with refried beans, olives, guacamole, sour cream and cheese, and it costs about 90 to 105 calories (30 to 35 calories per tablespoon), with an additional 42 calories for three chips. The grand total: 147 calories.
TIP: If you make the dip, use low-fat cheese and sour cream and black beans, not refried. Or you could switch to salsa: Two tablespoons have only about 15 calories. Also, go for light or baked chips instead of fried.
CHICKEN WINGS WITH BLUE CHEESE (3 TBL SPNS) = 37 MINUTES OF TRAINING CAMP SPRINTS
TIP: Don't deep fry, bake the wings — or better yet, go for skinless chicken breast strips with a low calorie, low fat blue cheese or ranch dressing.
To see an excerpt of "The Diet Detective's Count Down," click here.
To read answers to more questions put to Platkin, click here.
"The Diet Detective's Count Down" is a Fireside Paperback. Fireside is part of Simon & Schuster, which in turn is part of the CBS Corporation, as is CBSNews.com.