Some people get so excited every summer for their city’s annual exhibition/stampede/carnival as their mouth begins to salivate, pondering the food indulgences. Mini-donuts tend to make us weak in the knees along with all the other deep fried treats, and we often forget just what kind of calorie, fat or sugar load that comes with it.
Here are few quick snapshots to keep in mind:
- Each mini-donut is about 55 calories each. That bag of 12 rings in at about 660 calories total.
- One cup (that’s 250ml) of lemonade is about 100 calories, and in a serving you may get about two – three cups total.
- A corn dog holds in at almost 400 calories per, and about 21 grams of fat.
- One deep-fried Oreo measures close to 160 calories, with 10 grams of fat.
- A funnel cake devouring would require 90 minutes of running to burn off the 760 calories consumed… and so the list goes on.
The good news is that these festivities do not happen daily or even monthly; so usually if you make it a one time a year occurrence you should be ok. But, you can still be wiser on how you chose your items. Some tips:
- Pick one food item (maybe a newly featured one) and have that.
- Share, Share, Share… you pick a food item and share it with the spouse or kids, and they pick one and you all share it too. This allows everyone to try a few new things without the calorie, fat and sugar load all lying within one individual.
- Do NOT attend the festivity on an empty stomach. Having a snack prior with fiber and protein (like an apple with peanut butter, or snap peas with hummus) will help keep you more focused on that food item you want rather than 100 items.
Never forget to bring lots of water. Often in the heat we are dehydrated and confuse our lack of water for hunger.
Karla Heintz (BSc) Nutrition Educator and Author of ‘Picky! Not Me Mom! A parents’ guide to children’s nutrition
www.karlaheintz.com
