No need to stress: What to serve at your election watch party

Election Day is finally here, which means many of us will be making tough choices.

We’re not talking about who to vote for. That’s easy.

We’re talking about the thornier question about what to serve to eat and drink at your election night watch party so you and your guests will have something to chew on besides their fingernails.

“That is a great question,” said Joanne Slavin, a dietitian and professor in the University of Minnesota’s Department of Food Science and Nutrition.

Slavin said an election results watch party is comparable to a Super Bowl gathering. It’s a sort of social celebration, so food is central. But there’s also some tension about the outcome.

“It’s kind of stressful, like a football game,” she said. “It’s once every four years. It’s a really big deal.”

Maybe you’ll want to have Champagne if your candidate wins. But also beer, so you’ll have something to cry in if your candidate loses.

Perhaps you should have some coffee on hand so you can stay up watching the late returns. But Diet Mountain Dew would be a bipartisan caffeinated beverage option. According to the Wall Street Journal both vice presidential nominees, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Ohio Sen. JD Vance are fans of the yellow-green soda.

As far as foods, Slavin thinks comfort foods might be a good option. You might consider classic Americana fare like hot dogs and apple pie. Or a Minnesota menu that could include hot dish, Top the Tater or pizza rolls.

Another option would be election-themed cupcakes being sold by Coon Rapids bakery Something Sweet by Maddie Lu.

You can can get a blue-sprinkle cupcake with an edible photo of Kamala Harris, a red-sprinkle cupcake with a photo of Donald Trump or a non-partisan “I voted” cupcake. ($3.25 each or $33 for a dozen.) Bakery owner Maddie Schmitz said she’ll announce the sales total for each type of cupcake at the end of business hours on Tuesday.

Slavin thinks small plates and grazing boards might help people to pace themselves through the night.

“When people are stressed, they tend to eat too much and drink too much,” she said. “Overeating is not a good idea.”

You might also consider advice from the Cleveland Clinic, which suggests that foods that have high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, protein, fiber, vitamin B12, magnesium and probiotics may help with anxiety relief.

That’s why experts suggest wild salmon — containing high levels of protein, omega-3, magnesium and vitamin B12 — as a way to calm your brain and reduce anxiety.

Another good option is avocados, which are also a source of omega-3 fatty acids and are high in magnesium, which can help regulate the body’s stress hormone. So, guacamole, traditional staple of many a Super Bowl party, is also a good choice for an election party.

Magnesium can also be found in leafy green vegetables like spinach.

Other sources of omega-3 that you might consider include chia and flax seeds, sardines and anchovies.

Dr. Uma Naidoo, a Harvard-trained nutritional psychiatrist and professional chef who calls herself the “MoodFoodMD,” also suggests probiotic fermented foods like plain yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha and apple-cider vinegar as a way to reduce anxiety.

According to the MD Anderson Cancer Center, eating fermented foods helps your gut produce mood-enhancing hormone serotonin.

In addition, Naidoo said foods with vitamin C like citrus fruits have a calming effect. She also suggests dark chocolate for its magnesium, deviled eggs as a source of choline and lots of water. Being dehydrated can put you in a bad mood.

Naidoo also suggests incorporating turmeric, a spice which has been shown to help lower anxiety. She suggests adding a teaspoon of turmeric to your smoothie or tea or in a chia pudding, ideally with a pinch of black pepper to make the spice more bioactive.

Maybe you could sip some apple-cider vinegar laced with turmeric if you’re feeling a bit edgy about the electoral vote totals.

Foods to avoid for anxiety, according to the Cleveland Clinic, include sugary snacks and refined carbohydrates, which can cause your sugar levels to go up and down, leading to mood swings and increased anxiety.

Trans fats and fried foods also should be avoided because they cause inflammation that can affect stress and anxiety levels. So doughnuts won’t help with election nerves.

If anxiety about the country’s future will mean that you won’t be able to sleep that night, experts suggest laying off the alcohol and coffee.

The caffeine, of course, will make it harder to sleep, but alcohol also disrupts sleep quality.

Instead, opt for chamomile or mint tea or warm milk, suggests the Cleveland Clinic.

The Cleveland Clinic also says foods that help you sleep include complex carbohydrates like whole-grain bread, pasta and crackers; lean proteins like chicken, turkey and fish (but not high-fat chicken wings or deep-fried fish); heart-healthy fats like peanuts, walnuts and almonds (but not potato chips or French fries); and foods high in magnesium, which includes spinach, avocadoes and black beans.

Slavin said try not to eat late into the night, because that also will affect sleep quality.

Maybe after a good night’s sleep, everything will look better in the morning.

On the other hand, you can just opt for the food that isn’t on any healthy lists, but will be the choice of journalists working late into the night on election stories in hundreds of newsrooms around the country: Just order some pizzas.