06/11/97 Take Me Out to the Buffet

Take Me Out to the Buffet

ADA survey shows fans enjoy peanuts and cracker jack...and ahi tuna, crab cakes, arepas, corn-off-the-cob, and beaver tails.

CHICAGO, June 11, 1997

While hot dogs and peanuts are synonymous with baseball food, there is a surprising line-up of other food choices available at America's 28 major league ballparks, according to The American Dietetic Association (ADA), the nation's largest organization of food and nutrition professionals.

From the Marlins in Miami to the Angels in Anaheim, registered dietitians fanned out to stadiums throughout the U.S. and Canada to check out the roster of ballpark foods available. And, while it is easy to strike out with the abundance of high-fat, high-calorie food choices, ADA says most parks score well on the variety of options available, including some foods not traditionally associated with stadium selections. Specifically, ADA found:

All 28 ballparks offered hot dogs, peanuts, nachos, ice cream, popcorn, pretzels, sodas and beer.

Nearly all had pizza, bottled water, hamburgers, french fries, cotton candy and other candy selections;

Only 23 stadiums offer Cracker Jack;

Fresh fruit was available at eight parks and vegetables at five.

Half the stadiums (14) did have salads available;

Milk was found at ten parks, although none had skim milk;

Many (22) offer grilled or baked chicken sandwiches, and five have garden or veggie burgers available.

Turkey sandwiches were on deck at 17 stadiums;

Twenty-one parks have frozen yogurt available;

A variety of sausages, including Italian (20), Polish (19), and Bratwurst (18) are served.

"Whether you're at the majors, minors, or the neighborhood little league game, the key to eating wisely is to have a nutrition game plan," said Dallas dietitian Neva Cochran. "Walk thoughout the park and get the added benefit of physical activity while scoping out all the food selections. Look around, rather than grabbing the first thing you see."

ADA acknowledges that baseball fans will select an occasional hot dog or slice of pizza, and suggests they balance out the day's meals with fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grain choices. ADA adds, there is plenty of regional and ethnic cuisine for the more than 70 million fans who attend games each year, including choices for health conscious fans:

Clam chowder in a sour dough bowl, calamari, ahi tuna sandwiches and California wines at San Francisco's 3Com Park (Giants);

A "California Roll" (sushi with crab, avocado, sesame, seaweed, ginger paste, and hot mustard) at the California Angels' Anaheim Stadium;

Cincinnati chili (spiced with chocolate and cinnamon) at the Reds' Cinergy Field;

Corn-OFF-the-cob with lime or lemon juice, churros and Italian Beef at Chicago's Comiskey Park (White Sox);

Cleveland Indians' Jacob Field offers biscotti, pierogies and eggrolls;

Carrot juice and teas, including herbal selections, are available at Oakland Coliseum (A's);

Oriole Park at Baltimore's Camden Yards (Orioles) has crab cakes and Polynesian hot dogs;

Miami's ProPlayer Stadium (Marlins) serves arepas (South American cornmeal crepes with cheese), rice and beans, media noche ("midnight" sandwich made with a sweeter bread, roasted pork leg, ham, swiss cheese, mustard, mayo and pickles), plantains, flan and Cuban ham croquettes;

Chicago's Wrigley Field (Cubs) offers deli sandwiches featuring low-fat, low-sodium meat choices;

Montreal's Olympic Stadium (Expos) offers sushi, shrimp cocktail and a distinctively Canadian treat, Beaver Tails (fried dough shaped like a beaver's tail and dipped in cinnamon sugar or chocolate and hazelnuts.) Beaver tails are also available at Toronto's Skydome (Blue Jays);

Atlanta's Turner Field (Braves) offers bison meat hot dogs, Georgia pecans, Georgia peaches & cream yogurt and "Cobb" salads. The park also has a "Taste of the Majors" concession featuring a regional cuisine of the visiting team, such as Philly cheesesteaks when the Philadelphia Phillies are in town;

And, New York Yankees Stadium (Yankees) offers dehydrated ice cream, while New York's Shea Stadium (Mets) features knishes.

"We found lots of variety in the ballparks' offerings, including low-fat or non-fat treats like pretzels, Italian ice or lemon ices, and frozen yogurts," said Cochran. "The key is choosing wisely wherever you eat. Over the course of the day think moderation, not deprivation," she added.

For more information, see ADA's nutrition tip on this topic.

With nearly 70,000 members, the Chicago-based American Dietetic Association is the nation's largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. ADA members serve the public through the promotion of optimal nutrition, health and well-being.

Editor's notes:

All ballparks were visited during May, 1997, and ADA's findings represent food selections inside the stadiums available to any general admittance fan, not private skyboxes or restaurants.

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