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Eating Healthy @ Citi-Field

📸 Healthy Salad Bar at Citi-Field. (Picture Credit: Latino Sports)

FLUSHING — Since the beginning of the year, I have had my share of visiting countless baseball stadiums. The most recent was Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. One of my biggest challenges was always looking for something healthy to eat. Unfortunately, ballparks are not into catering to foods that might not be as easy as just throwing something into a deep fryer or on a grill. As such, trying to find something healthy to eat in a stadium these days might sound like an oxymoron.

Yesterday, I was pleasantly surprised when leaving the field just before the Mets vs. Yankees game to go up to the press area. I usually leave through the field near the dugouts, but yesterday a friend told me it was faster to go through the stands behind home plate through a food court into the hallway towards the elevators.  Before exiting, I saw a friend I had not seen in years. He was eating but asked me to stay to exchange contact information. We got into catching up a bit as he was devouring his plate of what looked like very delicious meats and shrimp.

While we were talking, a very sweet and in charge supervisor named Joanna saw that I was the only person standing at that table without a plate of food. She asked me why I was not eating. She reminded me of the many women in my family who will not let you sit at a dinner table and not have a plate of food. I explained that I was not part of the guests present; I was just talking to a friend. I then told her I do not eat any red meat and that I was more like a vegetarian. She looked at me with a contagious smile and said, “come with me.” She escorted me to a table specifically for vegetables and other non-meat eatables. She also told me about the other items on the menu that were fine for vegetarians.

📸 Pictured (from left to right): Latino Sports founder Julio Pabón, supervisor Joanna and chef Angelica.

In my culture, we don’t turn down any invitation to try some food or a drink. So, I complied. After tasting some of the food, I thanked her and gave her compliments on the food. I told her that the food I tasted was not only healthy but tasted good. It tasted like it had some of my islands sofrito, sazón, or adobo. Things were winding down, and Joanna told me that she was going to bring the cook so that I could tell her that myself.

I understand that the main attention is on the game and the players in ballparks. Very few pay attention to the hundreds of behind-the-scenes workers that make the game possible and bearable. Therefore, I waited and met the cook, Angelica was another smiling employee that was surprised that someone wanted to meet and congratulate her cooking. She was very happy to hear my comments and told me she is not used to getting complimented outside of her coworkers. I understood but told her that I did appreciate the variety and taste of the food.

I took a selfie with these two ladies as they are important Citi-Field employees that make coming to watch a game and have something healthy to eat as important as the game. Congratulations to the food service department for having such excellent and loving staff.

 

 

 

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