I know what you are thinking… Is it possible to eat healthy at a place where just about everything is deep-fried and impaled with a stick? Moreover, does anyone try to eat healthy at a local fair?
I know I don’t. But then there are people like my friend (and running partner) Kim who do. Recently I detailed my adventures at our local fair and listed all of the tantalizing on-a-stick-creations my daughter and I gorged on during our time there. Kim attended the same State Fair with her kids and she left without ever wrapping her lips around a deep fried s’more or a pork chop-on-a-stick (poor, deprived woman). Instead, she found ways to eat healthfully at the State Fair. (Why, Kim, why?)
If you are someone who consistently watches what you eat, you may learn a trick or two from Kim. Let’s face it; the Fair is no easy place to be when you are on a diet. But do you really want to deprive your child the opportunity to cuddle a baby goat or ride the giant slide just because you are trying to lose weight? Of course not. Because there are so many foods to choose from at the Fair, it is easy to overindulge. On the flip side, having a plethora of food options allows you to balance your choices between high calorie and lower calorie foods and practice the art of picking rather than pigging out.
Kim was wise to visit the State Fair on “Crazy Grazin’ Day” when vendors were offering smaller portions at lower prices so you could taste a variety of foods without the guilt. (I, on the other hand, attended on “Stuff-Yourself-Like-A-Pig Day” and left 5-pounds heavier.) If your local fair does not offer a “Grazin Day” opt for items that offer the most nutritional value. For example, instead of stuffing herself with a Grand Champion burger (which contained 1000 calories), Kim chose to dine on a bison burrito (which had just 300 calories). Other healthier fair options are gyros (which average 600 calories), Cuban sandwich (570 calories) or a pork loin sandwich (290 calories). Our fair offered a delicious pot roast sandwich (330 calories) and a kid-friendly grilled cheese sandwich (450 calories).
For snacks you’re better off getting the baked potato with butter (380 calories) than a deep-fried blooming onion (1320 calories). When it comes to desserts, if you have a will of steel like Kim you can opt for a cream puff (350 calories) rather than a Blue Ribbon brownie (650 calories) or a funnel cake (800 calories). Finally, when you’re reaching for a beverage to wash down the aforementioned calories, avoid the high sugar soda and reach for a bottle of water instead.
If you are following a really strict diet I would recommend visiting your local fair’s website (or call the fair’s sponsors), that’s where I was able to obtain the nutritional information listed in this blog. Most food vendors also provide an ingredient list and additional nutritional facts upon request.
Happy Eating!
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