Thursday’s parade to kick-off to the Illinois State Fair is likely to instigate ten days of unhealthy eating habits for thousands of fairgoers. According to SIU registered dietitian Sara Lopinski, the food offerings at these events can pose a challenge to the health conscious food consumer.
Consider several typical fair foods and their calorie content:
•    jumbo corn dog = 375 calories
•    funnel cakes with cinnamon and sugar topping = 790 calories
•    cheesecake on a stick = 655 calories
•    chocolate malt = 690 calories
Lopinski suggests several strategies to survive the fair-going experience without causing bodily harm. First, think about the purpose of your visit to the fair.  If it is just for the food, then you will probably overeat. If you decide to combine “sight-seeing” with some exercise and food, then you will do better.   An additional suggestion is to get some exercise while checking out the food offerings at the fair, so you can plan your selections first instead of sampling at each vendor. Limit yourself to one higher calorie food and balance it with the choice of one healthier food.
An additional helpful strategy is to eat a healthy, high fiber snack before attending the festival to take the edge off your appetite. Lopinski says that you may eat less when feeling full versus hungry.  Another method to manage the “jungle’” of high fat and high calorie food choices is to share a portion of one of these foods with your fellow fairgoers.  Often a small portion of one of these foods can be quite satisfying with a reduced number of calories and fat.
-rb, sl