How much exercise would it take to burn off Super Bowl snacks?

We need some way to compare the relative "values" of the foods we eat.

For instance, what if the Food and Drug Administration required restaurants and food manufacturers to put an "exercise equivalent" on menus and food labels? Instead of calories, they would tell you how long you'd have to exercise to burn off what you're about to eat. Think about it. If you knew you would have to walk for 14 hours (roughly 43 miles) to burn off a burger, fries and a shake, don't you think you might give salads a second look?

Here are the exercise equivalents for some of your favorite Super Bowl snacks if you've exceeded your recommended daily calorie allowance. (The exercise calculations are from a complicated formula using standards from The American College of Sports Medicine.)

Single tortilla chip topped with 7-layer dip = 9.5 minutes climbing the stadium stairs

To make a seven-layer dip — perfect for dipping tortilla chips — refried beans are layered with guacamole, seasoned sour cream, veggies and cheese for 60 to 70 calories per ounce and 22 calories for one restaurant-style chip.

Diet Pro: Use light or baked chips, and switch to salsa — 2 tablespoons have only about 15 calories.

Single Ritz cracker with Cheez Whiz = 13 minutes performing in a marching band

Yes, that's right, a simple Ritz cracker has 16 calories, and just a tablespoon of Kraft Cheez Whiz contains 45 calories, for a grand total of 61 calories in a single bite.

Diet Pro: Avoid the cracker altogether and cut up small squares of low-fat cheese. You really won't notice the difference.

“ Nice size" helping of meat lasagna = running 89 football fields

You're looking at pasta, mozzarella, creamy ricotta, meat and other assorted high-calorie goodies. A 9-ounce portion (which is pretty large) has 500 to 700 calories.

Diet Pro: Skip the meat, cut back on the cheese and bulk up on extra vegetables.

2 handfuls of potato chips = running 45 football fields

Each handful is about an ounce, so two handfuls of chips have about 300 calories. Oh, and if you add just 2 tablespoons of onion dip (60 calories), you'll be running another nine football fields.

Diet Pro: Make homemade pita chips with margarine spray, or try Low Fat Kettle Chips and save more than a few football fields. Use nonfat yogurt instead of sour cream to mix up the dip.

2 slices of pizza = doing "The Wave" 1,182 times

A typical slice has about 260 calories, but don't forget about the toppings which would require additional "waves."

Diet Pro: Try cheeseless pizza with plenty of veggies — broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, zucchini, mushrooms, artichoke hearts on top. And stay clear of stuffed-crust pizza.

Handful of beer nuts = 21 minutes of cheerleading

While nuts are a good source of "healthful" fat and protein, they are packed with calories. For instance, 1 ounce of beer nuts has about 170.

Diet Pro: Munch your heart out on Kashi, Cheerios or some other delicious low-cal cereal.

One nacho chip with fixings = 9 minutes of football-training camp

You're talking serious calories here: 85 per tortilla chip, mainly because it's topped with beef, chili sauce, refried beans, melted cheddar, tomatoes, sour cream and guacamole.

Diet Pro: Use reduced-fat or nonfat cheese, baked chips, nonfat refried beans and nonfat sour cream.

One cup of chili = 149 touchdown dances in the end zone

A cup of chili packed with beef, beans and assorted vegetables comes to about 350 calories. A blob of sour cream and some shredded cheese adds 150 calories more for a grand total of 500 calories.

Diet Pro: Use ground turkey breast instead of the beef, or make it vegetarian. Top with non-fat sour cream and cheese.

One fried chicken drumstick = playing pro football for 13 minutes

It's about 140 to 160 calories per drumstick — not bad if that's all you eat. But keep in mind all the fat you get from deep-frying.

Diet Pro: Make grilled chicken breast strips in the oven using spices. Serve with a ketchup dipping sauce.

One Double Stuff Oreo = Pro football coaching for 15 minutes

With the stress, pacing up and down the sidelines, waving your arms and screaming, coaching pro football takes its toll. But in the end, you're only burning one 70-calorie Oreo Double Stuff cookie.