Fair food and healthy are not two things that are usually synonymous with one another.
Tens of thousands of people flock to the North Carolina State Fair for their favorite foods, most knowing they’ll pay for it later.
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UNC Health Registered Dietitian Shelly Wegman said there are a few things you can do to keep your stomach from feeling like you just stepped off the Tilt-a-Whirl.
“For most people, it’s about pacing yourself,” Wegman said. “Make sure you get some protein in early because protein will help you feel fuller.”
Wegman said the key to leaving the fair with a settled stomach is navigating the big three culprits: fat, salt, and sugar.
“The really heavy, battered foods or in cheesy sauces – those are the foods that are going to be a major fat bomb and that will probably upset your stomach at some point,” she warned.
Immediately heading for the funnel cake may sound appetizing, but Wegman warned too many carbs too fast will lead to an unpleasant crash.
“They’re going to digest very quickly, and you will continue to overeat. Then you’re going to get that crash because your blood sugars are going up and down so much,” Wegman explained.
H2O also needs to be a staple in your fair food-and-beverage lineup.
“Hydration, that’s a big one,” advised Wegman. “Make sure you're staying hydrated, preferably with water. Bring a refillable bottle.”
Movement is another important part of helping your body digest your greasy choices, but the timing is key.
“Sitting down and eating is going to let you be more mindful. If you’re mindfully eating, you’re going to chew more slowly and you’re going to savor every bite,” the dietician said.
She explained it’s easy to overeat our fair favorites, because it takes 15 minutes for the stretch receptors in the stomach to send signals to the brain that tell someone to stop eating.
“We’ve gotten really good at ignoring that signal. Pause a minute between each bite and wait and see how satisfied you are,” she said.
After eating, getting up and walking around can help control glucose levels in your blood stream and promote healthy digestion.
Wegman warned the popular plan of ‘fasting before the fair’ can do more harm than good.
“Fasting a day before the fair does not do you any good. Your stomach is going to shrink, and then it’s going to be hit with all this food, and it is going to stretch, and that’s going to be very uncomfortable,” she explained.
Her advice: eat lighter in the days leading up to the fair, but don’t go without food entirely.
“Your body runs on a 24-hour cycle. If you dump a huge amount of calories into it, it’s going to have to deal with that,” Wegman said.
She continued, “It’s dealing with fat, which is hard to digest. It’s dealing with sugars, which are going to mess with your blood sugar. It’s dealing with salt, which can cause a lot of fluid retention.”
Probiotics also offer some benefits, but the dietician shared that you need to eat them for several weeks to truly see positive effects.
For children, Wegman advises parents mange the portions they are eating to prevent upset stomachs later.
“It’s really easy to give them the whole corn dog or the whole fried twinkie, and that’s way more than a kid’s portion,” she noted.
Lastly, for all fairgoers, Wegman said to remember ‘sharing is caring.’
“You really do want to share. Go for those foods that really mean something to you and savor every bite,” she said.