Fair Food

I spent today at the Jefferson County Fair. It was my niece's fair horse show debut and we had a blast. Can't wait to go back on Saturday when she's got two more classes.

The day afforded me the "opportunity" to eat on the midway. So I did a little sleuthing to see if one CAN eat healthy in a place that is famous for deep fried anything on a stick and cream puffs as big as your head.

Unfortunately, the results are not surprising. Not much good stuff to pick from. But some is definitely better than the rest.

Better options:

Sweet corn. You control the butter. Yes, it's a starchy grain with not a lot of nutritional value, but it's still better than fried cheese curds.

Grilled chicken gyro. Grilled chicken, onion, tomato, yogurt-based tzatziki sauce and a pita. The pita isn't whole grain, but that's not what kills you, really. It's the overall size of "one" serving. Best to share and go very light on the sauce, but still better from a nutritional standpoint than a corn dog or giant slice of pizza in my view.

Single scoop ice cream cone. Real ice cream ... mine was mint chocolate chip. Still clocks in with plenty of calories, but perhaps a good choice over a dinner-plate-sized funnel cake with powdered sugar, chocolate sauce and strawberries. A snow cone, light on syrup, is probably also a pretty good trade. It takes a long time to eat and hits the sweet spot.

Baked potato. Just go easy on the toppings. Better than French fries and usually big enough to share.

Popcorn/kettlecorn. Salty? Yes. I'd head toward the kettlecorn stand before the trailer with the lights just because I can see what they're using for oil and salt/sugar/flavorings. But in any case, the popcorn seems like a better idea than the loaded nachos. Hey, it's a whole grain, right?

Chocolate-covered frozen banana. Pick off some of the chocolate. Leave the cheesecake on a stick dipped in chocolate for someone else.

When in doubt, stick to a plain hamburger or even a hotdog instead of something battered, breaded or deep fried. And remember, it's portion size that gets you. If you really want a funnel cake, or the deep fried cookie dough on a stick, share it with four or five friends. Get a bite, satisfy the craving ...

... and then do one more lap of the midway!

Or, try jumping for 10 minutes on this thing.