What Healthy People Eat at Ballparks and Other Tricky Venues

As a mom of two, Kristin Kirkpatrick, RD/LD, a wellness manager for the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute, has definitely dealt with cries of "I'm starving and need to eat right now!" while cruising down the highway. If her family's only option is a burger-fries type chain, she has two strategies for keeping her meal healthy. Her first plan is to only look at portion size, which rules out deluxe burgers with multiple patties and other 1,500- to 1,800-calorie items, and opt for something small—she'll even order a kids' meal for herself (a kids' hamburger, fries, apple slices and lowfat milk clocks in at 480 calories). Her second approach is to rethink the menu. If all-day breakfast is served, Kirkpatrick will get oatmeal with fresh fruit, even if it is 5 p.m. Or, at a Mexican joint, she'll ask for just one soft taco instead of defaulting to the three that the menu offers as a bundle.