News: Media Kits: Living Well Week
News Article
March 12, 2006
Healthy meals and snacks can come from a concession stand
Writer/source: Kelly Bryant (kcordray@uga.edu) 706/542-3611
With the rush of everyday life, concession stands are often the fast food joints of the park, ball field or sporting event.
With the rising rates of obesity in the United States, parks and ball fields provide a wonderful opportunity to be physically active. Unfortunately, finding healthy concession foods that are low in fat and sugar can be a challenge. However, with a little thought and planning, there are ways to make healthier choices in challenging situations.
"Whether a concession stand offers healthier food choices or not, it's important to remember that there are no 'bad' or 'good' foods," said Kelly Bryant, a University of Georgia Cooperative Extension nutrition education specialist. "All foods can fit into a healthy diet with a little planning and thought."
Higher fat and sugar foods should be eaten less often than lower fat and sugar foods. But don't get overly discouraged if the only foods available to eat are foods high in fat and sugar. Instead, balance out the rest of the day with healthier meals and snacks.
Listed below are a few tips for eating healthier meals and snacks from concession
stands. The concession stand in your area may or may not offer some of these
food choices. If not, share with park or concession staff the need for adding
healthier food options. Assure them that you do not want them to remove foods
that they already sell, but that you see a need for adding a few healthier
alternatives.
Healthy concession stand tips:
- Bring healthy foods from home to supplement concession stand foods. For example, eat an apple you brought from home along with that slice of pizza.
- Ask for lettuce and tomato on your sandwiches. Leave off the mayonnaise.
- Choose smaller portion sizes of foods and beverages or split with a friend.
- Leave the chili-cheese sauce off your hotdog.
- Order nachos without cheese dip.
- Choose cheese pizza instead of pepperoni pizza.
- Snack on pretzels, without the cheese, or baked chips.
- Replace regular candy bars with granola bars or cereal bars.
- Choose yogurt, pudding cups or popsicles made with juice instead of ice cream.
- Drink water, 100 percent fruit juice or sports drinks instead of regular sodas.
Healthy food ideas you can ask your concession stand to carry:
- Single-serve beverages
- Water or flavored water
- Sports drinks
- Low-fat or fat-free milk
- 100 percent fruit juice (8-12 ounces or less)
- Snacks
- Graham crackers (regular and low-fat)
- Pretzels
- Soft pretzels (mustard makes a great dip)
- Granola and cereal bars
- Animal crackers or vanilla wafers
- Reduced-fat cheese crackers
- Baked chips
- Snack-size bags of peanuts, or bags of unshelled peanuts
- Snack size bags of light microwave popcorn (if a microwave is available)
- Bagels (with reduced-fat cream cheese or peanut butter)
- Fruits and vegetables (some may need to be refrigerated)
- Fruit in single serving cups
- Individually wrapped packages of baby carrots
- Large bags of frozen mixed fruit, thawed and sectioned into one-cup servings.
- Fruit and vegetable dipper snack packs
- Individual packages of dried fruit trail mix
- Frozen fruit popsicles
- Bowl of fresh fruit (apples, bananas and oranges)
- Dairy foods (keep refrigerated)
- Individually wrapped string cheese
- Low-fat or fat-free yogurt
- Pudding snacks
- Sandwiches, hotdogs and pizza
- Sandwiches on whole wheat bread
- Reduced-fat hotdogs
- Turkey burgers
- Pizza with vegetable toppings
Knowing how to make healthy meal and snack choices while at the park or at a
sporting event is a positive step toward helping your family live healthier.
For more information, contact your local UGA Cooperative Extension office at
1-800-ASK-UGA1.
(Kelly Bryant is a UGA Cooperative Extension nutrition education specialist with the College of Family and Consumer Sciences.)