Photo: Michael Simon
Jesse Palmer is no stranger to healthy snacking. The New York Giant-turned-Bachelor host had to do plenty of it during game days. Now, he has more freedom to eat chicken wings and pizza, but he still likes to have some fresh and healthy options. Palmer teamed up with Avocados From Mexico to encourage NFL fans to host a Better Bowl — “a game-day viewing party made with plenty of guac.”
Palmer and Chef Ashton Keefe demonstrated how to best prepare your guac for the big game. The former NFL player’s best tip for party hosts is setting up a guacamole bar. Not everyone has the same spice preferences, and Palmer stressed how helpful it is to offer guests an array of options so everyone can choose how fiery they want their guac.
When Palmer heard that 250 million pounds of guac are shipped from Mexico to the US in the four weeks leading up to the Super Bowl, he joked that he consumes a hundred million of them. Palmer added, “I’m a big fan of avocado” and “It cannot be Game Day without guacamole, am I right?” It seems that quite a few (or hundred) million people agree with that sentiment.
Avocados From Mexico invited me to a guac-filled happy hour, where they served margaritas (and even brownies!) filled to the brim with guac. And let me tell you, these unexpected combos hit the spot.
I had the chance to speak with Palmer about his favorite Super Bowl snacks (which, of course, include guac) and the upcoming sports episodes of The Bachelor, where he answered which contestant would win a possible Bachelor Bowl. He also shared his Super Bowl plans and his thoughts on Taylor Swift’s support of Travis Kelce during Chiefs games.
Photo: Michael Simon
You were actually in the NFL, so do you have any staple snack foods that you loved eating before games or ones that you eat now as a fan?
Ooh. Well, today as a fan it’s a lot easier because I like chicken wings, burgers, pizza, and most of all guacamole with Avocados From Mexico.
And is that before games or is that now?
[Laughs.] Oh, that’s…
That’s now. [Laughs.] What was your go-to before?
Before games that would have been a problem. Before games, it was light snacks. I made a mistake early on in college of eating steak and a bunch of pasta — not good. You need carbs that you can digest quickly and things that you can use as energy. So there [were] some small snacks, bananas, the things that basically you ate as a kid when you were playing peewee football.
Photo: Michael Simon
What has it been like to get the opportunity to do football events with The Bachelor, and do you have any fun moments from set that you just look back on?
Yeah, I mean both are great. ESPN, The Bachelor, Food Network. There isn’t just one moment that really kind of stands out. It’s just more the small things with some of the cast and just kind of hanging out, joking. I try to keep things really light and fun, so I’m not trying to ever be overly serious. So it’s a lot of fun.
With the current cast right now, do you have someone you think would win the Bachelor Bowl?
I could see … Oh, well, Evelyn would win because based on what she just did at the wedding, her athleticism is off the charts.
And they’re doing tennis this year. Can we expect some football?
Potentially. Joey’s very sporty. A lot of the women are as well. So yes, I think there’s a good bet that there will be more sports down the road.
Taylor Swift has been making a lot of headlines for going to football games and some people are being kind of rude about it. What are your thoughts on that whole situation and how she’s sort of bringing in new young girls and women into the game?
I think it’s been amazing for a couple of reasons. One, I think it’s authentic. I think their relationship is real, which I think is awesome. And two, to me, it’s been a win-win for everybody. It’s been a win for the NFL. It’s been a win for Taylor. It’s been a win for Travis Kelce. It’s been a win for the Chiefs. They’re actually playing in this Super Bowl amidst this ‘distraction’ [Palmer added air quotes to ‘distraction’].
They’ve been able to get through it. I think everybody’s coming out on the other side better for it. So I think it’s been phenomenal.
And do you have any Super Bowl plans?
Yes. Well, I’ll be watching the game with my wife and baby will be asleep probably, unless she wakes up somewhere in the fourth quarter. And then maybe I can watch a few drives with her.
Congratulations on that as well. That’s awesome.
Oh thanks, thank you.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
Xandra Harbet 
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