Organically Blue: Dodgers Going Healthy

Gabe Kapler has brought a new perspective to nutrition and healthy living to the Dodgers since being hired as the director of player development. Some of the players invited to the eighth annual Winter Development Program held at Dodger Stadium in January had the opportunity to experience one of his uplifting seminars which signaled a fresh approach to player development for the franchise.

Jon Weisman of Dodger Insider tweeted out a photo of the meal board in the Dodgers’ cafeteria at Camelback Ranch on Thursday.

My heart skipped a beat when I saw the word “organic” plastered all over the chalkboard (presumably written by Gabe Kapler himself). Not only did the food sound delicious, but it is healthy as well.

Since an athlete’s body is essential to his or her career, you would think that nutrition would be of the utmost importance for the players in order to finely tune one’s instrument so to speak. Professional baseball players are not the only ones who can benefit from healthy nutrition of course, and I myself advocate organic eating as well.

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On a personal note, I have been eating organically for many years. For almost a decade, I have been choosing organic food whenever I have the choice. I try to buy organic chicken, beef, eggs, milk and produce 100% of the time when I’m grocery shopping. I cook most of my meals at home (I enjoy baking and cooking as a hobby), and I like to be able to control the ingredients which go into my food.

Arguing about whether organic food is healthier than genetically modified food or food raised with pesticides and other chemical processes is not my intention. Of course I feel that organic foods are the best choice (and taste a lot better!) when accessible, but often times it is more difficult to find and more expensive than other food choices.

Now I’m not a total stickler for organics. I’m not going to pretend I am. I enjoy my Caramel Macchiatos from Starbucks, and I can never pass up a good burger if it’s not completely organic.  I’m not going to deprive my kids of the occasional Happy Meal  from McDonald’s either (those fries are addicting). Yet I choose organics whenever possible, and I really appreciate Kapler’s integration of healthy eating into the Dodgers player development strategy.

I avoid artificial sweeteners, MSG, high fructose corn syrup like the plague. Just don’t call me a hypocrite when I’m drinking a Coca-Cola this Spring (although I try to buy the Mexican Coca-Cola which is made with real sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup). No sodas will be found in the Dodger cafeteria this Spring.

I wonder what Gabe Kapler would say about Joc Pederson‘s Starbucks run last season? I’m sure he wouldn’t have liked Dee Gordon‘s late night Pink’s Hot Dogs visits either.

With the importance of good nutrition at the forefront of Kapler’s vision, I wonder whether healthier fare will also be offered at Dodger Stadium this upcoming season. Of course nothing can replace the Dodger Dog, but perhaps an organic Dodger Dog will make its debut sometime.