State Fair Foods to Avoid
We are officially in the dog days of summer, which means that it’s time for family fun at carnivals, amusement parks and the State Fair before school begins in the fall. Dentist in Newberg, Oregon Dr. Jennifer McLeod and her team at Newberg Family Dental encourage patients of all ages to avoid much of the fair food as possible…or, at least, take a few buddies along to help eat it up.
Why? As fun as the State Fair can be, they manage to make the food delicious and terrible for your health and teeth all at the same time. Here are some State Fair foods to avoid.
Deep Fried EVERYTHING
Who knew you could take perfectly good vegetables like asparagus or pickles and deep fry them? Or that Snickers bars could be thrown in a batter and dunk in grease to a golden sheen? The State Fair has figured it out. These fair foods have become an annual tradition for some people, at times the primary motivation for visiting the State Fair at all.
Just be clear how much fat and calories are available for consumption while eating these decadent treats. Here’s a list:
- Fried cheesecake (6 oz.): 655 calories/47 g fat
- Fried Snickers (5 oz.): 444 calories and 29 grams (g) fat
- Fried Twinkie (2 oz.): 420 calories/34 g fat
- Funnel cake (1): 760 calories/44 g fat
These are just a few of the choices. This doesn’t count fried Oreos, fried doughnuts (yes, doughnuts that are fried again), elephant ears, corn dogs, turkey legs and deep fried macaroni and cheese.
Chocolate Dipped EVERYTHING
If you’ve never heard of a Pig Licker, chances are that you can easily find one. This is the term for pieces of bacon fried up and then, once cooled, deliciously dunked in chocolate. In fact, when it comes to fair food, you can pretty much get anything dunked in chocolate, including potato chips, cheesecake, cookies, doughnuts, apples, and Twinkies. To keep the heartburn – or heart attack – at bay, along with gum disease and additional potential dental problems, it would be a good idea to avoid anything bathed in chocolate.
Is There Healthy Fair Food?
Not really, but there are healthier options. While not deep fried, corn on the cob tends to be slathered in butter and salt but you might be able to get it plain. Compared to other offered treats at the fair, cotton candy – while sticky and bad for your teeth – is only about 200 calories per serving. It’s hard to count the servings, though, when the cotton candy is bigger than your head. Another option is a candy or caramel apple – again, bad for your teeth, but at least it has some fiber.
Have fun at the State Fair and even splurge on a little bit of fair food, but when you’re done, come in and see us! Call us at (503) 278-4281 to schedule an appointment with Newberg dentist Dr. McLeod and her team at Newberg Family Dental.