When I was a kid, my brother and I would get to the fairgrounds very early each morning, feed and water our pigs and then head to the foot long hot dog stand. Nothing says County Fair like a foot long hot dog and a quart of root beer for breakfast! Now that I am older and a little wiser, I might think twice about eating that, but there are a few better choices. Well, not many!
The Minnesota State Fair is super fun and I spent lots of time there every year. They are famous for "anything on a stick" or "anything deep fried". Say yes to Walleye on a Stick, say no to deep fried Twinkies and Snickers bars. The twinkie has 420 calories and 34 grams of fat while the Snickers are over 700 calories!!
Most fair food is not nutritious, but I did find soemthing that is low calorie. A cone of Cotton Candy is about 100 calories and no fat. It also has less sugar than a can of soda. I'm not saying you should eat it everyday, but it is a very sensible choice, given the options.
Sno- Cones really surprised me. What could be wrong with ice with some flavoring? Well, most Sno-Cones contain a shocking 540 calories!! Wow- that's more than a deep fried twinkie! If you must have a Sno-Cone, see if they have sugar free syrup or ask them to go light on it. Most syrups have 80-100 calories per ounce and approx 6 oz is the norm.
Burger or Hot Dog? Ah, the age old question- which is healthier? To be honest, neither is a great option but if you do decide to have one, get it without cheese and eat only half the bun. Order extra pickles and go with mustard instead of ketchup. If you can find grilled chicken, enjoy that instead.
I love Ice Cream! The trouble is, most places don't serve my Edy's Half Fat Sugar Free Slow Churned. They serve full fat sugar laden ice cream in a waffle cone that can be over 1,000 calories! Instead, choose a pre-packaged novelty like a Dilly bar or Push Up. They aren't any healthier, but if you can't control the craving, at least it is portion controlled.
What else?
Soft Pretzel- 340 calories, 2 g fat, lots of sodium
Funnel Cake (Elephant ear in some areas)- 760 calories, 44 g fat
Popcorn, no extra butter- 400 calories, 27 g fat
Caramel Apple- 300 calories, 1 g fat. A regular apple has 53 calories. I'm just sayin'...
Chocolate Covered Frozen banana- 240 calories, 4 g fat
As you can see, the calories can really add up. If you feel you really need a day to let loose, go for it and don't feel guilty. Just be sure you get back into your healthy ways the next day. Otherwise, plan ahead to have one special treat and stick to your guns. Weight goes on a lot easier than it comes off!
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