Posted Sept 3, 2010
A notice from the University of Minnesota nutrition center Tuesday morning points out something most folks heading to the Minnesota State Fair know but don’t care to hear: Fair foods can be packed with calories.
In the biggest downer of a release to come across the Pioneer Press’ State Fair desk this year, the center goes on to detail the calorie counts of nine fair food favorites.
We list them here, exactly as the nutritionists meant them to be seen:
–Caramel covered apple (1 order): 347 calories
–Cheese curds (1 order): 759
–Corn on the cob with butter (1 cob): 179
–Cotton candy (1 bag): 323
–Flowering onion with ranch dressing: 980
–Funnel cake/ Elephant ear (1 each): 452
–Mini donuts (1 bag): 622
–Pronto pup (1 each): 350
–Taffy (30 piece box): 557
An ambitious fairgoer who consumes all of the deliciousness listed above would take in a grand total of 4,569 calories, putting men well over their recommended daily calorie intake of about 2,400, and women well over their 2,000-calorie recommended intake, the U of M killjoys said.
“There is a perception that what one eats when going to an event such as the State Fair doesn’t matter because it’s a special occasion that only happens once a year,” said Lisa Harnack, Ph.D., professor and director of the Nutrition Coordinating Center. “The problem with this thinking is that all the special occasions in our lives add up and play a significant
role in our affecting our health.”
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Copyright © 2010, Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.