Eating at the Wayne County Fair
- By Bonnie Willis, LD, RD Nutritional Services Manager, Wooster Community Hospital
- August 28, 2010
- 622
Let’s consider the options…
• Share with a friend; most servings can be split between two or three people.
• Drink plain water; helps to beat the heat and takes the place of those sugar-filled beverages.
• Eat before you go; you won’t give in so easily!
• Pack some healthy snacks to take with you; vegetable sticks, fruit, peanut butter and crackers are great when you stop to rest those tired feet.
• Take just a bite of, or avoid altogether, the foods that are deep fried.
Well and fine to say it – now how do you do it?
Enjoy that ear of corn, but ask them not to dip the ear in butter before they hand it to you. Enjoy the frozen chocolate banana – and share with your friend or family – the banana part is great. Soft pretzels are a good choice, brush off most of the salt and again, share it with a friend.
Alternatives for some of those high-fat foods you love to eat at the fair: eat half of an elephant ear instead of the funnel cake (save about 605 calories), eat a chicken sandwich instead of the steak or sausage sandwich (save almost 300 calories) or eat a caramel apple instead of that order of fried vegetables (about one-half the calories). Choose the hamburger instead of the sausage sandwich (save about 200 calories). Ask for just one scoop of ice cream instead of two or three scoops (save about 150 calories).
Considering that most women need 1,600 to 1,800 calories a day and most men around 2,000 calories, it makes sense to make the best choice. How easy it is to spend the day eating your way through the crowds, but let’s assume that you choose the sausage sandwich, add an order of fries and top it off with a funnel cake. You’ve just eaten more than a day’s worth of calories and enough fat for two or three days.
Stop by the Wooster Community Hospital Booth. We’ve prepared a list of the most common foods found at fairs. You might be surprised.