Extra Innings

One of my many interests in life is nutrition. I think it's interesting how our bodies react to the different plants and animals we feed ourselves. Carrots make you see better, beans make you toot, and onions make you cry. All cliches and not necessarily true, but interesting, nonetheless. Everything I know about nutrition is from personal experience, magazine articles, books or internet "research." I have also worked with many personal trainers in my life while preparing for pageants (yes, I'm a Texas pageant girl. Yee-haw!) that have shared their thoughts on how to live a healthy lifestyle. 

Through my many years of dieting, I have found that one of the most important rules for maintaining a healthy weight is eating what you want. That's right- anything. If I deprived myself of my many junky favorites, I'd be one cranky lady. Pizza, ice cream, chips and queso... just to name a few. Everyone loves to enjoy a hot dog and a few beers during a baseball game. But if you're going to several games a week, the concession food gets old real fast and you actually crave something healthy! 

The best option is to eat a protein-filled meal before the game to keep your tummy full. But there are times when the game will go into extra innings and you just can't stand it any longer! Unfortunately, most ballparks won't allow you to bring in any food to snack on, either. So which concession food is best to keep those "extra innings" from showing? I've done a little research on a few ballpark favorites to help make that decision a little easier!

Peanuts

580 calories
16g carbs
49g fat
25g protein

Cracker Jacks 

120 calories
23g carbs
2g fat
2g protein

Nachos

306 calories
32g carbs
17g fat
25g protein

French Fries

319 calories
38g carbs
17g fat
8g protein

Pretzel

338 calories
69g carbs
3g fat
8g protein

Don't be tempted by cotton candy's cuteness... 1 bag has 230 calories, 60g carbs, and 60g sugar!

Hot Dog

294 calories
22g carbs
18g fat
11g protein

Hamburger

281 calories
33g carbs
10g fat
14g protein

Take me out to the ball game and buy me some Cracker Jacks! This is exciting for a few reasons: it's a low-calorie, delicious snack, a baseball tradition, and a free toy is included to congratulate you on your wise choice!


-E