Fit Fare

It’s difficult to think of going to a sporting event without there being an abundance of junk food available. This month, I experienced some March Madness of my own at the first and second rounds of the NCAA Men’s College Basketball tournament in Philadelphia. I was lucky enough to get these highly coveted tickets, and I was in for a very long day of basketball. The first day had two double headers involved, which meant that my fiancé and I were in the Wachovia Center for about 13 hours, with a two hour break. Unfortunately the arena does not allow you to bring in your own food, so you are at the mercy of the vendors which supply the sports complex.

What are your options if you are trapped in a sports complex for 13 hours? Sadly, the choices are nothing short of awful. In Philadelphia, they include the standard cheese steak, French fries, movie-style popcorn, cotton candy, soft pretzels, hot dogs, ice cream, water ice, chicken fingers, nachos with processed cheese, and Italian sausage. The only snack I was willing to order was a soft pretzel to hold me over until I was able to leave between the double-headers. Not only was every choice a dietary nightmare, there was only one choice, from my searches, which was even marginally acceptable to eat.

This begs the question, why do junk food and sports go hand in hand? Here we are, watching fine-tuned athletes burn thousands of calories running up and down a court, wowing us with their athletic prowess, and we are stuffing our faces with the worst food on earth. Granted, I realize that it tastes good and goes great with a beer, but it could’t come with less nutrients or more fat and sodium. What is the reason for such deplorable options? I can only come up with two possible reasons: First, people view a sporting event as a special occasion in which they can splurge. Second, junk food is usually very portable and can be eaten in small seats or while walking around.

However, I believe that such foods as sandwiches with healthy fillings, salads, soups, pizza and perhaps even some hot dogs made from tofu or turkey are all portable, healthy, and would not be unreasonable items to add to the sporting event menu. Other snack possibilities are air popped popcorn, trail mix, granola bars, and energy bars. All of these items can be nutrient rich if prepared correctly, and can be a choice which allows customers to enjoy the sporting event and still keep a healthy diet.

Some arenas do offer such options, and they should be commended for their efforts. This is not the case for Philadelphia, once known as the fattest city in America. It’s not that difficult to have a tasty, hearty and healthy snack that is satisfying.

There is one other reason I think the food choices are so bad in sporting arenas. Sadly, I believe that the choices available are driven by dollars, and the cheaper and more processed the food, the more money the vendors make. Should we sacrifice our health during a trip to the ball game just because we are a captive audience? I would like to be able to just watch the game and be inspired by the athletic display I came to see, not destroy my health in the process.