Take Me Out to the Ball Game!! How to Eat Clean AND Save Money!!

I just LOVE when the weather warms up and we can catch a local baseball game!! Watching my son's face for the first time as we all stand for the National Anthem, hearing the sound of the bat as it cracks the ball into the outfield, feeling the warm sun on my face. These are the memories that I want to treasure for a lifetime and one of the many reasons why summer is my favorite time of year!!

 The San Jose Giants games make for an awesome family outing, but that can also come with lots of money down the drain and TONS of calories packed on in a matter of minutes!! Sure its a Minor League stadium but the prices are right up there with the Major Leagues!! $4 for a bottle of soda, $ 4.75 for peanuts, $3.50 for licorice??? I just wanted to have a fun night out not spend a fortune on FOOD!!

So before even heading to the park my wheels were spinning!! I challenged myself to see how I could create an awesome family night without breaking the bank and without packing on the empty calories! Our local hardware store Orchard Supply offers free tickets to the San Jose Giants baseball games at their check out stands so while my hubby was doing his shopping the other day he picked up a few of those so we were able to get in for FREE!!!


Now that we had admission covered I needed to think about dinner and snacks. I love, love, LOVE tailgating before a game! But I also know that all that food that we used to indulge on is not in my plan for the next 8 weeks as I prepare for my trip to Las Vegas.

So again the wheels were turning...I knew that we could eat at the stadium, they have a huge BBQ pit area in addition to all the ball park norms like hot dogs, hamburgers, garlic fries, nachos etc but I wanted something quick that I could prepare ahead of time, clean, that fit within my meal plan and would also be family friendly. I didn't want to set myself up to fail by going to the game hungry so we decided to eat at home to save some money and calories. In keeping with the theme of warm summer nights I didn't want to have to turn on the oven or slave over the stove for hours so I whipped up some Chicken Caesar Salad Pitas, chopped bell peppers and hummus!! This was a hit with my son and my husbands exact words were "this is awesome! I can definitely see this on the menu a lot more!". YAY!! It's always nice when dinner is a hit! My original plan was to wrap these up and take them to the park to tail gate before the game but I wasn't sure how well that would go over with a 2 year old since this was his first game after all. But now that it went smooth I definitely look forward to some awesome tail gate picnics this summer!! Many parks also offer you the option to bring your own food into the stadium. If so this would be a great option too if you'd like to eat while you're watching the game.

After dinner it was off to the game. I had prepared some snacks to bring with us in case anyone got the munchies during the game. I made these amazing 2 Ingredient Cookies earlier in the day and bagged them up while my son was napping so that he would be surprised during the game! They were healthy and clean so I didn't feel one ounce of guilt for letting him eat them. I also tossed in his favorite blueberries and strawberries, water and he was set!!



I'm not going to say it wasn't hard to ignore the smell of the BBQ pit right under our seats or the garlic fries and churros from everyone sitting around us but as I sat there with my 2 favorite guys WATCHING the game and ENJOYING our little family I thought....THIS is the WHOLE reason we were at the game to begin with. I went to the game having eaten so I wasn't hungry. I didn't feel like I was "missing out" because I truly wasn't HUNGRY. I've learned to really focus on WHY I want to eat. Is it because I'm really hungry or is it because I'm enticed by the sights and smells of the bank robbing food? Clean eating and fitness is a lifestyle I choose to live because I want to, I feel my best, I look my best and I want to live a long life to be able to do these things with my grandkids one day!!

If you enjoyed these tips on eating clean at the baseball game shoot me a friend request on Facebook and find out how you can get free coaching and support on your own health and fitness journey!!