A low-fat Super Bowl party need not be an oxymoron; and I'm not foolish enough to suggest you prepare dainty little sandwiches and pass around the sparkling water. It is a party after all. You can still serve a hearty chili with cornbread, and have plenty of tasty snacks on hand. With a little planning and some nifty ingredient substitutions, the lighter fare will taste just as good. So here are some low-fat tips, followed by some terrific recipes, to make your low-fat Super Bowl party a success.

• Take chili, for instance: all those beans and tomatoes that form the base of this versatile dish are wonderfully nutritious by themselves. So choose extra-lean beef or turkey to accompany them, or forgo meat altogether and add an extra can or two of reduced-sodium beans instead. Provide reduced-fat cheese to sprinkle on the chili, and reduced-fat or fat-free sour cream for garnish.
• Make cornbread with part whole-wheat flour, and use low-fat or fat-free buttermilk and canola oil in your recipe for a healthy, low fat version.
• Load your potato skins with salsa or just a sprinkling of reduced-fat cheese and fat-free sour cream. Add some paprika or even some cayenne pepper to spice them up a bit.
• Oven fry some skinless chicken pieces dipped in egg white, or buttermilk, and dredged in breadcrumbs, cornmeal or crushed cornflakes. Serve with a honey-mustard or barbecue sauce.
• Serve home-made baked tortilla chips or pita crisps, and serve them with low-fat dips that use fat-free or reduced-fat sour cream, yogurt or cream cheese as their base.

• Make fresh salsa. Add some chopped peach or mango for something different.
• Have a large plate of cut veggies to go with the dips, too: include different colored sweet peppers and jicama, as well the usual carrots and celery.
• Serve a big salad platter featuring groups of black beans, sweet corn, chopped red onion or scallions, chopped tomatoes, artichoke hearts, diced avocado, chopped green pepper and shredded reduced-fat Jack cheese. Make a lime-based vinaigrette to go with it.
• Instead of buying one of those huge over-filled subs, have your guests make their own lower-fat sandwiches. Provide a variety of lean (and low-sodium) meats and reduced-fat cheeses, a variety of whole-grain breads, wraps, rolls and bagels, plus some fat-free or low-fat mayos and dressings. Have pickles, sliced tomatoes, shredded carrots, salad leaves, roasted red peppers, pesto, and sun-dried tomatoes, all of which can help make a satisfying sandwich. Make tuna or chicken salad with fat-free mayo or low-fat plain yogurt. Use herbs and black pepper for seasoning, and omit the salt.
• Provide reduced-fat potato chips or the baked variety. Make your own snack mixes using whole-grain cereals, dried fruit, unsalted nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and pretzels.
• Don't forget the sweets. Bake a batch of low-fat brownies or some carrot cake. Have plenty of chopped fresh fruit on hand, too.
• As for beverages, keep the coffee pot full, and do have plenty of water and fruit juices available as alternatives to beer and soda.
• Don't eat too much! It's all very well cutting fat here and there, but if you pile your plate high with party food, you won't be doing yourself any favors.

Check out the following recipes, and enjoy the game!

Low Fat Game Day Chili
Beef and Black Bean Chili
Turkey Chili
Turkey Sloppy Joes
Southwestern-style Lasagna
Low Fat Cornbread
Mini Corn Muffins
Low Fat Sausage, Mushroom and Red Pepper Pizza
Potato Skins
Spicy Shrimp Kebabs
Low Fat Mexican Pizza
Low Fat Chicken Nuggets
Baked Tortilla Chips
Baked Pita Chips
Low Fat Spinach Dip
Fat Free Black Bean Dip
Low Fat Red Pepper Dip
Fresh Salsa
Mango-Black Bean Salsa
Hummus
Low Fat Brownies
Low Fat Carrot Cake
Light Chocolate Chip Cookies