July 30, 2009

Eat Smart At The Fair

If it can be fried, or put on a stick, you'll find it next week at the Mississippi Valley Fair.

Cookies, candy bars, cheese, hot dogs, snack cakes and onions can all be drenched in a thick batter and fried in oil.

Tastes are as much a part of the fair experience as sights and sounds but overindulging in high-calorie, high-fat foods over a lifetime can contribute to high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

"Around every corner of a fair there is some new treat, but if you stop for one of the treats, you're going to need to keep walking around the fair for a few hours to burn off the calories,'' said Denise Strathdee, a dietitian with the Genesis Bariatric Surgery Center.  "There are fair foods that are better than others, but many people would be surprised how many calories and how much fat and sugar are in some of the foods for sale at a fair."

An example is that fried onion blossom calling your name. It has 1,320 calories and 72 grams of fat. The fried Twinkie is 420 calories and a funnel cake is 760 calories.

"To walk off the calories of that fried onion would take you more than four hours at a medium pace,'' Strathdee explained.  "There are better choices.

"Look for grilled sandwiches, corn on the cob, but easy on the butter. Watermelon may be available.  Look for a plain pretzel, but even though the pretzel's not fried, it may still have a lot of carbohydrate calories."

Srathdee suggests several strategies for avoiding taking in more calories than you can walk off on a day at the fair.

• Eat before you go.  You'll be able to resist foods easier if you're not hungry.
• Don't go it alone.  Share the funnel cake, fried cheese curds or turkey leg (1,136 calories) with others.
• Eat a regular meal.  Don't just snack your way around the fair. Sit down and have a meal at mealtime. There are sit-down options at most fairs run by local youth organizations or churches.
• Skip the soda.  Instead of a mega-glass of sugary soda, try unsweetened ice tea or a bottle of water.
• Listen to your body.  Don't be tricked by how good everything looks and smells. Eat only when you are hungry.

Genesis will be at the Mississippi Valley Fair next week as the sponsor of the big screen in grandstand that allows concert goers to get "up close'' views no matter where they sit or stand.  Genesis is also a sponsor of the variety tent at the fair.

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