Take me out to the Ballgame

My husband & I went to our first baseball game of the season last night.  Baseball games mean baseball food! The hot dogs with mustard, cheesy nachos, popcorn, peanuts, and Cracker Jacks! Oh the culinary delights of an evening at the park.  The variety at our local Double-A team’s Whataburger Field is actually quite good for a small, open-park venue and of course, there’s a Whataburger right there in the park!

What is a whole-food eating, gluten-free preferring, lover of Ameria’s past time to do? I’m not staying home. I’m not putting cotton up my nose so I won’t smell the smells and be tempted. I’m going to enjoy me some baseball! With that in mind, I’ve got some tried and true options for you when it comes to navigating the gastric delights of the ballpark.

Option 1: Know before you go. I frequent Whataburger Field during baseball season and make it a point to know what they have available each season. Be aware - most parks change their options each year.  Doing a bit of homework and asking Google some questions can alleviate some serious anxiety for a sensitive foodie. And there is probably a club you can join that will grant you entry into the swanky restaurant on site. Some Nolan’s fajita beef on a baked potato with fresh salsa from the Patio and a fruit cup make this baseball fan happy. 

Option 2: This is actually my favorite: eat before you go. Whether we have dinner at home before a 7:05 first pitch, or go straight from the office to one of our favorite local eateries along the way, eating outside the park is my #1 choice. It’s generally more economical, and of course, even in Corpus Christi, Texas, eating outside a venue allows much better choices than eating at the event.  I’ll be sure to share some of my favorites later.

Option 3: Schedule your intermittent fasting for the evening on the day of a game. Now this is not a good option for me or a lot of others, and if you are new to IF, it is definitely not the time to be trying to make a go of it. Just the smell of food begins a cascade of hormone reactions that can only be stopped by the ingestion of FOOD. However. Should you choose this tactic, I can recommend that you come fully hydrated, and make sure to drink lots of water during the game. Also, don’t bring along your beer drinking baseball buddy on this outing. Nothing can put an end to good intentions like a negative influence. 

Option 4: The trickiest of the maneuvers is of course sneaking your own food into the park. I’ve been successful in this particular feat a couple of times. Even with a small cross-body purse that the ticket taker checks out. You ladies know that there are spots you can stash a pouch of Justin’s Almond Butter or a protein bar where no one will ever see. Preferred, though, is the honest approach: tell the ticket taker that you have food sensitivities and require special food. They are very accommodating. Sometimes.

Option 5: Eat the Hot Dog. yes. Eat the hot dog. Or the funnel cake. Or the nachos. These memories are too important to be hampered by food fear. So drink a beer, have a pretzel, a fruit cup, some Dippin’ Dots. As long as it’s a choice you make and not you being too lazy to plan ahead. 

Sunshine. Friends. Memories. Go out to the park. You’ll never regret it when you go prepared for the inevitable question, “What do you want to eat, honey?”