According to the USDA, the real MVPs won’t be playing on the field in Arizona, but rather will be what is served to viewers.

“For many, the most valuable player will be the avocado, which is quickly becoming a fan favorite,” the agency writes.

In fact, it’s estimated that Americans will consume 120 million pounds or 240 million fresh avocados during the week leading up to the Super Bowl. This is a 20 percent increase from last year. It is also estimated that the amount of avocados consumed during the big game will be enough to fill an entire football field from end zone to end zone over 46 feet high.

The USDA urges Americans to first consult the Hass Avocado Board – a federal advocacy board appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture – prior to making their shopping list. The board’s site features “tasty avocado recipes, nutrition information, and much more.”

avocado super bowl
USDA/Hass Avocado Board

The National Chicken Council – a private group – estimates Americans will eat 1.25 BILLION chicken wings during the game.

Don’t think the Feds don’t have suggestions for those, too. In fact, a bureaucrat – Amelia Kermis – actually took the time to pen cooking instructions consumers can find on the side of the hot wings packaging.

“To start baking wings, preheat your oven to 400°F. Meanwhile, place your wings in a rimmed baking sheet. To ensure maximum crispiness, do not crowd the wings and place them in a single layer,” the agency recommends.

For those Super Bowl fans who preferred fried wings:

Before frying, remove the chicken wings from the refrigerator and pat dry the wings to prevent oil splatter.

Make sure not to overcrowd the chicken wings as you place them in the fryer. If crowded, wings can turn our undercooked and increase the chances of giving your guests food poisoning.

While it is important to test the internal temperature of the chicken wings to ensure they are cooked, DO NOT test the temperature while the wings are submerged in oil. This will lead to an inaccurate temperature reading. To take the temperature of your wings, place them on a clean plate covered with paper towels.

“Coat your delicious wings with a sauce of your choosing and remember to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours,” is the final federal recommendation.

Meanwhile, another federal agency, the IRS, claims that due to budget cuts, some taxpayers with filing questions will go unassisted.

“It’s a challenging year,” IRS commissioner John Koskinen tells USA Today. “We are trying to move as many people (online) as we can. Last year, 15% to 18% of our calls were people asking for information about their refunds or their transcripts that they could have gotten online.”

“The agency estimates that it will not be able to answer half the calls it gets during the upcoming filing season because of insufficient staff,” Colleen Kelley, president of the IRS employees union, says in a press release.

Here’s an idea: how about sending over some of the USDA employees writing Super Bowl snack tips to the IRS to help elderly taxpayers who want to call on the phone?