It used to be that a day spent watching the great American pastime could do some serious damage to our great American waistlines. Not so much now, with hungry fans making the healthy vegetarian and vegan options that stadiums are offering disappear like a Ryan Braun homer. Here are our 2012 picks for major league stadiums that knock it out of the park when it comes to delicious veggie fare:

Ballpark: ©iStockphoto.com/AdamKazmierski • Pig: ©iStockphoto.com/Anatolii Tsekhmister

1. Philadelphia Phillies' Citizens Bank Park: PETA pal Chase Utley has returned from the disabled list, and Citizens Bank Park has returned to the top of our list, thanks to its array of meatless options, which include a vegan chicken-steak sandwich, veggie "pit beef" smothered in barbecue sauce, an Italian vegetable grinder, and ever-popular veggie dogs and black-bean burgers.
2. Seattle Mariners' Safeco Field: Ichiro is a legend in Seattle, in Japan, and around the world—and many of Safeco Field's vegetarian offerings, including the IchiBan veggie dog, the Seattle chili veggie dog, and the Bombay veggie dog, have international appeal as well. With so many great new vegetarian options, it's no wonder that Safeco Field has moved up in our standings.
3. Detroit Tigers' Comerica Park: There's a trio worth cheering for at Comerica Park—and we're not talking about Justin Verlander, Prince Fielder, and Miguel Cabrera. We mean the stadium's vegetarian Italian sausages, veggie riblets, and vegan hot dogs. With these and other great-tasting vegetarian choices available, Tigers fans can show that they care about cows, pigs, and chickens, too.
4. Oakland Athletics' O.co Coliseum: O.co Coliseum is pitcher-friendly and vegetarian-friendly. The veggie dogs, veggie burgers, bean burritos, ancho chili and mushroom fajitas, and other vegetarian items are as welcome to compassionate fans as Josh Reddick's great season has been.
5. Los Angeles Dodgers' Dodger Stadium: With new ownership and delicious meat-free creations, such as the vegan sloppy Joe, veggie sushi, and edamame, things are looking up for true-blue Dodger fans!
6. New York Mets' Citi Field: Johan Santana, David Wright, and R. A. Dickey aren't the only big draws at Citi Field. Mets' faithful are also flocking to the stadium for the veggie patty sandwich, veggie dogs, veggie burgers, grilled vegetable heroes, and other meatless meals.
7. Los Angeles Angels' Angel Stadium of Anaheim: The Halos' roster is loaded with stars—from Pujols to Trout to Trumbo—and the concession stands at Angel Stadium of Anaheim are loaded with winning vegetarian eats, including veggie dogs, black-bean burgers, bean burritos, veggie wraps, and California cucumber rolls.
8. Washington Nationals' Nationals Park: Bryce Harper, Stephen Strasburg, and Gio Gonzalez have helped make the Nats a winning ballclub, and the vegetarian selections at Nationals Park—including chili made with mock meat, veggie burgers, tofu sandwiches with Vegenaise, and falafel—have won the stadium a spot in PETA's standings. Maybe someday Teddy will even win the Presidents Race.
9. Pittsburgh Pirates' PNC Park: The Pirates are moving up in the standings in more ways than one—this season, PNC Park scored a spot on PETA's top 10 list of vegetarian-friendly stadiums after earning an honorable mention three years in a row. With veggie burgers, pasta primavera, vegetarian lo mein, salad with fried green tomatoes, and other vegetarian fare, the choices for compassionate fans are even stronger than the Bucs' bullpen and more satisfying than a game-saving grab by Andrew McCutchen.
10. Minnesota Twins' Target Field: Baseball is as American as Target Field's "accidentally vegan" apple pie. The stadium's other vegetarian picks, which include a veggie "walk-a-taco," veggie dogs, vegan mousse martinis, and vegetarian stir-fry, and a big hit with Twins' fans, too-no matter where the team is in the standings.

Congrats to the Chicago White Sox's U.S. Cellular Field, the Boston Red Sox's Fenway Park, the Colorado Rockies' Coors Field, the Atlanta Braves' Turner Field, the Arizona Diamondbacks' Chase Field, and the San Francisco Giants' AT&T Park for earning honorable mentions. Many thanks to the sporty folks at Veggie Happy for helping to get more vegetarian and vegan options on stadium menus nationwide.

Whatever Milwaukee is brewing, we want some of it. We were already rooting for the Brewers because of veggie royalty Prince Fielder, and now we learn that vivacious outfielder Nyjer Morgan, with whom Fielder shares this week's Sports Illustrated cover, attributes his out-of-the-ballpark energy and .306 batting average to his healthy vegetarian diet.

Could Roseanne Barr be the next star to "do a Clinton" and convert to a vegan diet? Extolling the virtues of faux meat and tweeting at McDonald's to stop abusing chickens sounds like a great start.

Eli Roth is such a talented tweeter for animals that we gave him his own web feature. (Wait 'til you see what he says about Go Daddy CEO Bob Parsons. #hilarious.) 

Fellow animal-friendly tweeters Pink and Tommy Lee took to Twitter to express their outrage over Indiana's barbaric "snapperfest." And Indiana native Bree Olson was so determined to stop the turtle torture that the Green Goddess posted the local sheriff's department's contact info on her website and asked people to call and complain.

Not to be out-tweeted, Glee star Lea Michele opined about her dream of retiring all the horses who are forced to spend long, hot days hauling around carriages full of tourists in her native New York City. 

The next time she visits New York, Lea may spot Whoopi Goldberg out buying toy and treats for the lucky kitten she adopted after he was tossed from a moving car. Adopting instead of buying is catching on across the pond, too, if we can judge by Camilla Parker Bowles and her new rescued pup, Beth. We think dedicated dog guardian Michael Vartan, who stars in this weekend's highly anticipated thriller Colombiana, as well as a new PETA ad, would approve.

While Michael steams up the big screen, fellow PETA pal Bethenny Frankel will be taking over the small one with her new talk show. Will she get naked for animals again? Stay tuned.

To stay up to date on all celebrity/animal happenings, follow PETA on Twitter.  

Written by Michelle Sherrow

All photos © Starmax Inc.

Ellen DeGeneres, Gordon Ramsay, and Entourage star Adrian Grenier are among the many stars who have recently done something noteworthy for animals:

• Guess who was named MVP of the MLB All-Star Game? Yep, that would be vegetarian royalty Prince Fielder. 
• Just when you thought you couldn't love PETA's 2009 Woman of the Year Ellen DeGeneres any more, she ups and rescues a sick kitten. 
• First of all, who knew that socialite Cornelia Guest was a vegan? While you digest that, consider the news that she's launching a vegan handbag line. Are you listening, Paris Hilton?
• Morrissey puts some muscle behind his "no meat" concert clause.
• Bluefin tunas join Adrian Grenier's entourage. 
• Weird Al Yankovic finds out the hard way that Sir Paul McCartney doesn't like chicken soup.
• First, Cupcake Wars crowned a vegan winner. Then Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi returned to her vegetarian roots. Now Master Chef, home of notoriously grumpy gourmet Gordon Ramsay, has challenged the contestants to create a vegetarian meal. Could a prime-time Post-Punk Kitchen show be far behind?

 
Written by Alisa Mullins

The Daily Meal recently compiled a list of top vegetarian athletes, including Mike Tyson, Billie Jean King, and Joe Namath. We were inspired to compile our own list of 10 animal-friendly top talents who have gotten brawn from broccoli and endurance from eggplant:
 

1. Ricky Williams, who fills out a PETA T-shirt as nicely as he does a Miami Dolphins jersey, had a ball hosting PETA's vegetarian chicken-wing taste test.
2. Robert Parish is one of the "50 Greatest Players in NBA History," partly because he made history of wimpy meat-eaters who got in his way.
3. "Olympian of the Century" Carl Lewis is a gold-medal winner with a heart to match.
4. Ultimate Fighter winner and King of the Cage world champion Mac Danzig eats his opponents for breakfast, but what he won't eat is animals.
5. Maybe Home Run Derby winner Prince Fielder inspired the Milwaukee Brewers' Miller Park to add veggie dogs and vegetable wraps to its menu?
6. Four-time Mr. Universe Bill Pearl is a gem for animals, with his healthy vegetarian diet.
7. If there is one thing Olympic gold medalist Hannah Teeter is as passionate about as she is about snowboarding, it's compassion for animals.
8. Ironman triathlete Brendan Brazier credits his vegan diet with helping him recover after he was hit by a car while cycling, and he came back to win an Ultra Marathon Championship.
9. How do you get to be named by Men's Fitness as one of the "25 Fittest Guys in the World"? Ask Rich Roll, and be ready for him to tell you, "Go vegan."
10.  MMA Strikeforce Champion Jake Shields is a force to be reckoned with in the ring, but never in his life has he forced animals to die for his diet.
     

Written by Michelle Sherrow

Take me out to the ballgame! Take me out to the crowd! Buy me faux-chicken and corn on the cob, nondairy smoothies, and veggie kabobs...

The great American pastime has gotten even greater, as loads of vegetarian and vegan foods have been added to menus at ballparks across the country. Here is this year's list of stadiums that have us hoping for extra innings: 
 

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1. San Francisco Giants' AT&T Park

The only thing sweeter than a World Series championship is knowing that no animals had to suffer for a tasty ballpark meal. Mouthwatering meat-free options at AT&T Park include veggie dogs, veggie burgers, portobello mushroom sandwiches, meatless burritos, grilled vegetable sandwiches, and noodles with ginger, sesame, and veggies.

2. Philadelphia Phillies' Citizens Bank Park

It's hard to tell what's more loaded: the Phillies' starting rotation or Citizens Bank Park's vegetarian menu, including Southwest black-bean burgers, mock-steak sandwiches, breaded faux-chicken sandwiches, and tangy hummus with pita chips. Don't forget the closer: the vegan rice krispie treat.

3. Detroit Tigers' Comerica Park

With flamethrower Justin Verlander on the mound and flame-broiled veggie Italian sausages and black-bean burgers on the grill, Comerica Park is the place to be this summer. You can also enjoy vegetable stir-fries, veggie dogs, veggie burgers, vegetable sushi, and hummus plates.

4. Atlanta Braves' Turner Field

The Braves have a strong heart of the order, and Braves fans can have a strong heart by enjoying delicious cholesterol-free fare at the concession stands, such as veggie burgers, veggie dogs, meatless burritos, vegetable sushi, veggie pasta, and dairy-free smoothies.

5. Colorado Rockies' Coors Field

The only thing at Coors Field longer than a Tulo home run are the lines at the concession stands for hearty meat-free fare, such as grilled portobello sandwiches, veggie dogs, veggie burgers, vegetable wraps, baked potatoes, and meatless burritos.

6. Oakland Athletics' Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum

The A's young pitching carries the team every year, and the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum's meatless items, such as the veggie burger, meatless burrito, made-to-order salads, and portobello sliders, carried the venue into our top 10 this year.

7. San Diego Padres' PETCO Park

Padres fans know that they can count on the right arm of Heath Bell and delicious cruelty-free fare in the concession stands, such as veggie dogs, veggie burgers, hummus and vegetables, roasted corn, edamame, and fresh fruit salads. (Maybe the animal-friendly options at the park will inspire PETCO to stop buying animals from abusive dealers where many animals suffer and die even before being shipped to stores.)

8. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim's Angel Stadium

Choosing tasty meat-free foods at the concession stands—like black-bean burgers, vegetable sushi, bean burritos, edamame, fresh fruit cups, corn on the cob, and roasted vegetable sandwiches on ciabatta rolls—can help get Angels fans' cholesterol lower than Jered Weaver's ERA.

9. Houston Astros' Minute Maid Park

Delicious meat-free foods, like veggie burgers, mushroom sliders, fresh fruit smoothies, baked potatoes, made-to-order salads, and sun-dried tomato rigatoni, are flying out of concession stands at Minute Maid Park faster than Michael Bourn can fly around the bases.

10. Milwaukee Brewers' Miller Park

Even if vegetarian slugger Prince Fielder leaves, the Brewers will still have mouthwatering meat-free choices to please their fans, like a portobello mushroom focaccia sandwich, a vegetable wrap, fresh fruit, build-your-own burritos, and a hearty veggie dog.

Thanks to Johanna McCloy and Soy Happy for their hard work getting vegetarian items added to menus at ballparks nationwide.

 
Written by Michelle Sherrow

baseballevolution / CC

Last night, I was glued to the television for the Home Run Derby. I had to be there to support my boy, Prince Fielder, who was competing against some heavy hitters—including 2006 derby champ Ryan Howard. The competition was definitely fierce, but my man did not disappoint. He nailed 17 home runs in the first two rounds and then blasted six off in the championship … all to be crowned 2009 Home Run Derby Champion!

Not that I had any doubt in Prince. After all, this vegetarian is the youngest player in history to hit 50 homers in a season.

Prince's ability to knock the socks off the crowd while knocking ball after ball out of the park got us thinking about the power of tofu and the rest of the derby participants. It's no secret that they could benefit if they followed in Prince's footsteps and made the switch to a vegetarian diet. Not only would they likely see an improvement in their health, they might see an improvement in their game, too—as Prince Fielder is home run–hitting proof. So, in the hopes of "beefing" up the competition for next year's derby, we are sending a copy of our "Vegetarian Starter Kit" to each of this year's sluggers. Hopefully, they'll learn that by dropping the ballpark franks and picking up veggie dogs, they'll be hitting a grand slam for baseball fans and animals.

Written by Shawna Flavell

So did y'all see the game last night? The one where my Boston Celtics took apart the Los Angeles Lakers like they were made out of Legos and won their first NBA title since 1986? If you did, you might have caught an interview where my man Kevin Garnett talked about how he transferred (he actually said "transcended," which was awesome) his tradition of eating a whole mess of PB&Js before every game over to his Celtic teammates when he was traded there in the offseason.

Professional athletes? Eating peanut butter & jelly sandwiches?

[Wait for it …]

WHERE DO THEY GET THEIR PROTEIN!?!?!?!?!?!?!?1/1/1

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getwiththeprogram / CC

I found this fascinating. The reaction to the interview was pretty much: "Look at KG and his wholesome, nutritious pre-game snack. It's so wholesome! And nutritious!" But PB&J is as much of a vegetarian staple as the Boca burger—I think I ate it for lunch every day for my first eight years as a vegan. So why do I feel that if KG had said, "I eat a vegan meal before every big game," the reaction would have been … different? It's like everyone is cool with eating healthy, but for some reason, eating vegan has this whole different connotation for some people—even though it's exactly the same thing.

I read an article on ESPN.com yesterday (while I was, uh, totally working hard and not on the interwebs), where Prince Fielder, Tony Gonzalez, Mac Danzig, and a bunch of other vegetarian athletes were talking about how being vegetarian has affected their game. No surprises: Gonzalez talks about having more energy in the fourth quarter of games and being able to blow by tired, meat-eating defenders, and Danzig talks about recovering faster from workouts. You can't argue with results. I figure that if a vegetarian diet is good enough for some of the top athletes on the planet, it's good enough for everyone.

So, note to the Lakers: Maybe some PB&J will help next time. Although grabbing a few offensive boards wouldn't hurt either. Just sayin'.