A little "fair" food

After making my way through a few local county fairs, I thought it was time to comment on some of the typical fair foods and calories.

I found that I didn't choose the "typical" foods when I dined, and instead, supported the local pork or cattle producer stands. The ribeye steak sandwich averages between 400-600 calories and about 40g of fat per sandwich, depending on lean vs fat ratio. A pork tenderloin (fried) sandwich is between 500-700 calories and 30 grams of fat. Of course, you could just have a pork or beef burger, which would be more in the 300 calorie range, but that can be a tough sell against the previous two competitors!

Here is a list of some common fair foods and the calories:

Regular Corn Dog- 250 calories, 14g of fat
Greek Gyro- 680 calories, 40g of fat
Hot Dog with Chili and Cheese- 500 calories, 36g of fat
6" Funnel Cake with Powdered Sugar- 285 calories, 14g of fat (this is a small version!)
Cotton Candy per bag- 220 calories, no fat (I guess you could call this the low-fat snack the fair... but it has 56g of sugar to lure you in!)
Nachos- 860 calories, 59g of fat

If you are planning on attending the Iowa State Fair this summer, be sure to take note of a few of their new items, including:
-Fried Butter on a stick
-Chocolate Covered Fried Ice Cream on a stick
-Red Velvet Funnel Cake with Cream Cheese Icing
-PB/J on a stick

I would hate to see the calorie and fat levels for most of these and hopefully you walk enough at the State Fair to offset some of those calories!! But, if you are looking for some healthier options, the State Fair does offer items listed below:
-Various salads
-Salad on a stick
-Pork Chop on a stick
-Fruit kabobs

Hope you enjoyed the summer and made it through your local fair or festival, without adding an extra 2-4 pounds!

www.calorieking.com
www.iowastatefair.org