When I was growing up outside of Philadelphia, my family had season tickets to the Phillies. I never thought it possible, but my passion for sports has only increased since then and along with it, so has my passion for fresh produce and a healthy lifestyle. Having experienced firsthand how eating fresh produce has made such a personal difference in my health and well being, I am more conscious than ever before about nutritious food options being available to everyone, everywhere.

While I would rather reach for baby carrots and hummus versus nachos and cheese dip, the food options at sports stadiums and arenas haven’t progressed much since my childhood. With many stadiums not allowing fans to bring in outside food (my hometown being the exception), avid sports fans who are also avid healthy eaters have had trouble finding meal options that fit their diets and tastes.

I’m not the only person that’s concerned about the nutritional aspects of stadium food . In this recent CNNSI.com article, a fan remarks, “I appreciate people wanting to have healthier options. [But] this is a ballpark. It’s about hot dogs, and it’s about peanuts.” We’ve all heard the same arguments against healthier options at sporting events. “It’s too expensive.” “It doesn’t work for mass catering.” “People don’t want healthy food while watching sports.” But I can’t be the only sports fan out there that can enjoy both a great goal line stand AND a salad? No longer are stadiums packed with only the stereotypical “beer and hot dog guys/gals” – and these venues should start catering to the sports fans seeking nutritious options as well.

Fortunately, I did discover that there are sporting venues stepping up to the proverbial plate to provide healthier food options! The Cincinnati Reds experimented with a “Grab-N-Go” stand that featured fresh fruit, sandwiches, salad and sushi and did $17,000 worth of business on opening day. And several MLB teams partnered with the California Table Grape Commission for “Grapes from California Day” , where grapes were available for sale at concession areas throughout the ballparks.

Out of curiosity, I looked at my hometown team’s baseball park, expecting it to be all about Cheesesteaks. Instead, I learned that Citizen’s Bank Park has been voted the “No. 1 Vegetarian Ballpark” for four straight years running. Who knew? Now, when I go home to my beloved Phillies, I know I’ll have some healthy produce options to choose from!

While baseball season is winding down, football season is only weeks away. Can football follow the lead of baseball and add some healthy variety to its concessions? I sure think so! The NFL has long promoted a healthy lifestyle in its Play 60 Campaign. Play 60 calls for more fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains in school meals. Wouldn’t it be terrific if the NFL took this nutritional approach to the concession stands at its stadiums?

So what?: Professional sports venues are starting to provide healthier eating options and their partnerships with fresh produce companies will continue to expand. Here are a few suggestions for encouraging fans to take advantage of their new fresh choices:

• Sneak it in when fans aren’t looking. Ok, so fans may not be willing to jump directly from nachos to a veggie plate. But stadiums can incorporate fresh produce components into popular items – think fresh veggie condiments on burgers, fresh fruit on ice cream sundaes, etc. As fans get used to seeing produce in their ballpark meals, they might be open to trying even more produce-centric items!

• Make it Part of the Game Experience. If you’ve been to a professional sports game, you’ll know that really rabid fans will do crazy things in the name of team loyalty. We paint our faces green, turn our caps inside out, you name it. If the Philadelphia Eagles announcer told me it would bring my team luck to eat an orange in the third quarter, I would probably do it. I am that crazy!

• Make the Players the Example. This will especially work well with young fans, whose eating habits are still being shaped. Let’s get professional athletes on board promoting fruit and vegetable consumption both inside and outside the stadium. Fans see players as role models, and if their role models are saying they should eat fresh produce, perhaps they will!

Posted by: Guest Contributor, Miriam S. Miller, Senior Director of Membership, United Fresh Produce Association