The Super Bowl is 50% about the game, 50% about the food, and maybe 10% about the commercials. A good spread is all you need to change an average get-together into an all-time great one. According to the National Chicken Council, pizza delivery orders spiked by 35%, and guacamole consumption skyrockets as fans smashed through 8 million pounds of avocados. In other words, the food is just as important as the game itself, and the best way to celebrate this unofficial American holiday is through good food. Last year alone, over 123.7 million viewers tuned in, making it the most-watched Super Bowl in history.
Unfortunately, not all spreads offer the same experience. Check out our list below to make sure you steer clear of all these absolute party fouls.
Microwave Popcorn
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Popcorn belongs in a movie theater, not at a Super Bowl party. It’s the food that’s quick, effortless, and often disappointing. According to the Popcorn Board (yes, that’s a real thing), Americans consume 14 billion quarts of popcorn annually, but Super Bowl parties deserve better than a bag of butter-less kernels.
Store-Bought Football Cupcakes
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Those neon green frosting on the store-bought cupcakes taste like straight-up chemicals. Studies show that artificial food dyes like Yellow 5 and Blue 1 (often found in mass-produced frosting) have been linked to everything from hyperactivity to migraines. If your dessert leaves everyone with stained teeth and regrets, it’s definitely a party foul.
Dry Wings
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Did we mention that the National Chicken Council estimates that 1.45 billion wings are eaten on game day? I guess we did. This means that wings are a popular choice for a Super Bowl feast. But if your wings are cold, dry, and lifeless, you’ve let the whole team down. Worse yet? Bringing boneless wings.
Plain Baby Carrots
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Bringing a massive bowl of baby carrots without dip is a red flag. Sure, a balanced spread is great, but no one at a Super Bowl party is hoping that someone will bring raw vegetables. A survey by Instacart found that vegetable trays are one of the least popular Super Bowl snacks. These snacks are ranked far below nachos, quesos, and even deviled eggs.
Store-Bought Potato Salad
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No one knows how long grocery store potato salad has been sitting there. By the time it makes it to your party, it’s mushy, overly sweet, and never really the right temperature. While potato salad is one of the most poisoning-prone party foods, if left out for more than two hours, if you must bring it, keep it cold.
Leftover Pizza
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Pizza is another top-tier Super Bowl snack, with Domino’s reporting a 35% increase in sales on game day. But leftover dry slices from last night’s dinner can be outright disrespectful. At least toss it in the oven instead of nuking it in the microwave, so it doesn’t taste like regret.
Plain Tortilla Chips
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Tortilla chips and dip go together like quarterbacks and wide receivers. But when someone dumps an unseasoned bag of chips into a bowl without any dip, it’s the equivalent of a failed fourth-down conversion. Fun fact: The U.S. snack industry generates $42 billion annually, so there’s no excuse for skimping on a decent dip.
Last Night’s Spaghetti
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Last night’s cold spaghetti is often that random leftover dish that’s hoped to get passed as a party snack. It's not exactly finger food. Worse if you’re trying to reheat it in the microwave before serving. It just ruins the taste more. Pasta can be an acceptable party food if it’s baked into something (lasagna, mac & cheese). But plain and reheated noodles? No thanks.
Grocery Store Veggie Tray
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Grocery store veggie trays are often marked up over 50% compared to buying and prepping fresh veggies yourself. However, it’s quite common to find one at every party. These veggies are also full of suspiciously limp celery and flavorless cherry tomatoes. By the end of the night, they’re the only thing left on the table—untouched, unloved, and destined for the trash.
Rock-Hard Pretzels
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Soft pretzels are a fantastic option, but stale and chewy ones that have been trapped under a plastic lid all day can be a nightmare. If your pretzel is harder than a linebacker’s helmet, it’s time to retire it. The worst offenders are the ones that come in big plastic tubs and dry out the second they’re exposed to air.
Dry Meatballs with No Sauce
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The key to serving meatballs as an acceptable Super Bowl food if they’re done right. Otherwise, if you’re thinking plain, overcooked, and unsauced meatballs, think again. These meatballs are not just tough but also disappointing. In short, they need sauce to shine, and the interesting part is that tons of options work wonderfully, be it BBQ, marinara, or Swedish-style gravy.
Weird Bean Dip
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A weird-looking dip isn’t a rare occurrence, either. And it’s never tempting. It’s either strangely runny, oddly thick, or in a color that’s not natural in nature. Plus, the CDC warns about the risks of foodborne illnesses from improperly stored dips. So if it looks sketchy, trust your instincts—pass.
Imitation Guacamole
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Guacamole should be fresh, creamy, and full of real avocados. But pre-packaged guac often contains preservatives like citric acid that give it a funny sour aftertaste. Also, pay attention to the color. If it’s an unnatural shade of neon green, it probably has more food coloring than actual avocados.
Boiled Hot Dogs without Buns
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A sad, floating hot dog in boiling water is a big turn-off. No grill? No problem. But at least serve them with buns. To make it worse, some people would go on and slice them up into weird little chunks. What we observed is that no matter what you do, without buns and sauces, these boiled hot dogs won’t look appetizing – at least not for a Super Bowl spread.
Hummus with Nothing Else
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Hummus is great. But when someone brings only hummus with no pita, no chips, and no veggies? That’s just sabotage. According to market research, hummus sales have surged by 21% in the last five years, but that doesn’t mean it should be the only thing on the table. Be creative with your hummus, and don’t hesitate to set up a charcuterie board with hummus and a lot of extras that go with it. This will make your game more exciting!
