Tips for Eating at the State Fair

The Great Minnesota Get Together has officially started, and you can already smell the food in the air. Deep fried Oreos and Twinkies, elephant ears, turkey legs and anything you want on a stick. My mouth starts to water just thinking of the food. But if you are like many other people that have been trying to lose weight this can be a little nerve racking to not pack on any extra pounds. Maybe you are thinking “Well I’m going to be walking all day, so I can eat a little extra,” but it’s also going to take an extra 2,000 steps to burn an extra 100 calories. So, what can you do to stay on track with your weight loss if eating 1 deep fried Oreo takes a one-mile run to burn off, or eating a turkey leg is equivalent to going for over a 20-mile bike ride. By being prepared and planning ahead you can make it through the State Fair without gaining any extra weight. Try these tips to stay on track with your weight loss.

1. Drink Plenty of Water – August days are still 80-90°F and we can lose a lot of water from sweating. Even a minor degree of dehydration can lead to feeling tired and confused. It is also very easy to confuse being thirsty with being hungry. At the State Fair there are 100’s of things to get to drink, but sticking with water is going to be the best way to prevent dehydration and drinking extra calories. Even something like fresh squeezed lemonade which sounds like it should be a healthy option can still have over 100 calories per 8 oz.
2. Eat Before You Go – Just like you don’t want to go to the grocery store hungry don’t go to the fair hungry. If you aren’t hungry when you get to the fair you are less likely to eat everything in sight.
3. Go Early – When you get to the fair early there is less food being cooked. This means that there are fewer temptations from the smell of it cooking.
4. Look for Healthy Snacks – Just because it is the state fair doesn’t mean you can’t find healthy options to eat. There is fresh fruit, roasted vegetables, and plenty of lean meats that you can find.
5. Sit Down to Eat– By sitting down to eat you are practicing mindful eating and can more easily recognize when you are starting to feel full. This is hard to do when you are walking around the fair.
6. Share Food– Everyone has that one food that is their must-have at the fair. The fair only comes around once a year so enjoy it, but keep in mind to keep things in moderation by sharing it with other people.

By taking these tips and planning ahead you can easily enjoy the State Fair. Contact me today to help you with your weight loss journey. Visit our website to learn more!

Ben Mohr RD, LD, CD
Registered Dietitian
Live Your Life^TM
Bringing Physical Therapy & Wellness to You!

 Ben has been a Registered Dietitian since 2016. Ben’s passion for nutrition started at a young age as he tried to understand how the foods that he was putting into his body was affecting what he would perform in high school athletics. He would slowly research food on his own to better know what to eat. Entering college, he took a class on general nutrition. At this same time, his father was diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer and had a very difficult time with his nutrition. This is when his father started meeting with a Registered Dietitian. Ben was able to see the impact that proper nutrition had on his father’s health. To this day Ben believes if it wasn’t for proper nutrition his father would not be with us today.

During college, Ben was able to take what he was learning about food and apply it to his everyday life as he was competing on the University Track and Field team as a pole vaulter. In his free time, he still enjoys coaching pole vault and staying active through weightlifting, biking, rock climbing, and snowboarding.

Ben’s passion for health and wellness has brought him many opportunities to work with a diverse group of people from high school and Division 1 athletes to the geriatric population. Since 2016 Ben has been able to help numerous people control their blood sugar and have helped over 100 people with weight loss. He also has experience in heart health, chronic kidney disease, tube feeding, IBS, and malnutrition