Tips for keeping your diet on track at the ballpark

Get ready for mouthwatering sensory overload! 

For example, the new Mac Daddy Dog at Comerica Park comes with mac n cheese. Or how about a brat, flattened out deep fried and put on a stick? Speaking of deep fried, the park will now be serving deep fried Oreos, fried baloney and chicken and waffles.

Before the first pitch, you can figure out pretty quickly how eating at any ballpark can become a troublesome task if you're trying to watch your diet. Kristin Kirkpatrick, a registered dietician at Cleveland Clinic, says you need to plan ahead.

"My advice is to actually go to your ballpark's website ahead of time, which will probably outline all of the options for you. Then once you get there you can know, all right, we can get grilled chicken at this concession stand," she says.

Kirkpatrick says to watch out for the convenient foods that are delivered right to your seat as they are often the least healthy. You don't necessarily have to limit yourself to a fruit cup, but, if all else fails, portion control is the way to go.

Kirkpatrick says if you really want to have a hot dog, look for the smaller 'cheaper' dog and not the bigger more expensive hotdog that's loaded with toppings. It's not about depriving yourself, it's about eating smarter.

Consider ordering a children's-sized hamburger, as the portion size will be smaller. Also seeking out foods that force you to slow down and not eat too quickly, like shelled peanuts.

Kirkpatrick says shelled peanuts are also good because they have healthy mono unsaturated fat.

Also, it's not just about watching what you eat but being aware of the calories that you're taking in with your beverages, too.

"Alcoholic beverages and sodas do contribute to calories, so I tell people that are going to the ballpark the same thing I tell my patients - watch what kind of calories you're actually drinking. They are the emptiest kind possible. They don't fill you up and you can lose track of them," Kirkpatrick says.

Keep in mind, also, that you are allowed bring in individual food items and sealed plain water bottles to Comerica Park. To look at the list of concessions at Comerica Park, click here and navigate to "C" for "concessions.”