Last evening I found myself at an NFL game, decked-out in my team’s colors, bravely cheering for the visiting team (as they suffered an embarrasing defeat) and surrounded by die-hard hometown fans. To distract myself from the gentle harassment of these fans, I found my mind wandering to food (a common diversion for a dietitian). Already looking for an excuse to retreat from the sea of thunderous cheers, I decided that one can’t fully experience an NFL game without visiting the concession stand and left my seat to explore the food offerings of the stadium.
Stadiums have come a long way from the days when only beer, hot dogs, popcorn and peanuts were sold. At the new and improved Paul Bornw stadium where this jersey-wearing loyal fan witnessed her team’s demise, the offerings ranged from the usual ball park fare to gourmet cuisine. I had the option of devouring hometown pizza, international fare, finger-licking platters of all sorts of BBQ, fried anything-your-heart-desires, hoagies piled high with sautéed vegetables and beef, and, to my delight, a station where fans could make their own salad (and the line was fairly long!). The stadium provided a feast that could meet my needs and the needs of even the biggest NFL linemen – which can easily surpass 5000calories a day.
So what, you might ask, did I finally decide upon? Well, to the dismay of many a gourmand out there, I settled on a tasty bucket of popcorn. In my defense, popcorn is a whole grain and, when the day ends, I’m really a traditionalist when it comes to ball park fare. Maybe on my next ball park visit I’ll be a little more courageous as far as food goes – I might even try a hotdog or two – but next time, I’m going incognito and wearing khaki.
