The Great Minnesota Get Together doesn't make it easy for Minnesotans and its neighbors who annually visit this ritual event come the end of August. (Minnesota's 12-day State Fair is second only in the nation to attendees to the Texas State Fair. Funny, considering Texas' goes 24 days!) Fatty high-calorie foods abound here and tempt all to try their traditional and new foods and beverages. This year, deep-fried ranch dressing is making its debut. Deep-fried ranch dressing? Well, at least it's vegetarian.
Most of us love to indulge at the fair and it's only once a year, right? Depends how many times you visit. But consider these suggestions:
- Obviously grilled is better than fried or deep-fried. Grilled meats such as pork chop on a stick, turkey legs, grilled shrimp on a stick at The Shrimp Shack and steak or chicken kabobs at Minnekabob are not fried foods. Try a pickle on a stick.
- Share – if you must have a State Fair cheese curd here, sharing an order of cheese curds with the family is better than an order per family member. That way, you can try more foods and save money.
- Eat the meat out of a sandwich and ditch the bun.
- Corn contains good fiber but limit the salt and butter.
- Eat before you go to feel fuller. Wear comfortable shoes for more walking.
- Bring your own water bottle. Refill stations are located throughout fairgrounds and noted on their main map. There is also complimentary water for fair guests at Culligan Water and Kare 11 TV.
[caption id="attachment_73754" align="alignright" width="208"] Giggles Salad on a Stick[/caption]
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- Kare 11's Health Fair 11 offers information on gluten-free fair foods.
- Giggles offers salad on a stick. The Produce Exchange offers lots of fruits – fresh, fresh-squeezed, and a lot of ways to eat peaches. Try them grilled.
Have fun at the fair. Don't just fixate on food. Download the Selfie Spots map by State Farm and use it as a treasure map to find all five. Take the history tour (available year-round). You may get more steps in. Climb the stairs a couple of times to go down the Giant Slide. Be realistic: Allow yourself to enjoy the fair and splurge a little but get back on track the next day.
The Minnesota State Fair begins Thursday August 22 and runs through Labor Day, September 2, 2024. Join our Burn Center at the Governor's Fire Prevention Day on Friday August 23.
