top ten ways to eat healthy at the stadium

I end up going to about 30 baseball games a summer (Go Yankees!). Combine that with random other sporting events and that averages out to at least a game or two a week. Eating at the ballpark every time can leave you feeling full, bloated, and downright weighted down. But there are ways to keep it healthy(ier) and still enjoy the game. Here are a few:

10. You need dinner - bring your own homemade dinner! I know it sounds corny, I mean who eats a bowl of rice and veggies at the ball park. You're looking at her. And yes, I feel like I get some odd looks. But in the end, who cares about that.

9. Number 10 doesn't appeal to you - buy Subway. Jared did it, and so can you. Forget the empty calories - mayo, chips, cookies. Stick with the basics - whole wheat, veggies, (meat for you carnivores), they even sell raisins.

8. You have a sweet tooth - bring some in-season fruit. Right now, nectarines, plums, peaches are all in season and ridiculously sweet. Forget the candy - eat nature's candy. Plus, does anyone really get 5 servings of fruit in a day. Probably not, but maybe you can get at least one here.

7. You like to crunch - if you like a crunch and must buy something at the ballpark, go for the peanuts. But watch your portions - that little bag has 7 servings in it (yes, 7... and yes, I can also eat the entire bag). Sure, it is high in fat, but if you stick to the portion size, it's the kind of fat that is good for you - unsaturated and from a whole food. Better yet, bring your own and measure out a portion.

6. You're a grazer - Maybe you don't eat much, but you like to have something to munch on throughout the entire game. Get some popcorn - or better yet, air pop your own, add a spritz or two of butter spray and a little salt. You get a nice flavor, and don't have to pay $6.50 for 50 cents worth of popcorn.

5. You're a sweet-tooth-grazer - Cherries, grapes, strawberries, sweet little bites that you can graze on for the entire game. My favorite are cherries.

4. You didn't bring any food and you don't want stadium food - Chew gum. Sometimes you're not even that hungry, but you just want to keep busy. This is basically a calorie free way to keep yourself busy until after the game, when you can get some dinner.

3. If it's just not a game without a munchie... go with a stadium sandwich. Avoid anything fried. Even a slice of pizza is better than a cheese fries.

2. You want a frozen treat - opt for the lemon ice instead of the ice cream. While it's probably close to the same calories, there is no fat or cholesterol in the lemon ice. And for some reason on a hot day, the citrus always seems more refreshing than a dairy product.

And my No. 1. You need to keep yourself busy, all the time - sunflower seeds. According to David's sunflower seeds, they are "snacktivities." That alone cracks me up. One bag has two servings. It took me until the end of July (about 25 games) to finish one bag. I'm on my second bag now - I hope the Yankees make the playoffs, otherwise I think these seeds might be stale by next April.

*k*