Summertime. Everyone has their traditions when the season kicks into its hot months. Going to the beach or lake. The park picnic. The neighborhood block party. We fill our time with activities that have that summer flare to them. One tradition that happens in our house is the annual visit to the fair.
What once was a celebration of crops and livestock that the local farmers had raised has morphed into something completely different in the past years. Sure, you can still go see the 4H clubs collection of bunnies and there may be the hanger with cows somewhere, but its a bit more corporate now. Bright carnival rides and games covered in neon lights decorate the walkway, and a festival of vendors selling their as-seen-on-TV wares litter the hallways. Despite these changes and updates, one thing has always remained the same. Food. You cant go to the fair and ignore the food. It's impossible. Corn dogs, ice cream, Deep fried...well deep fried everything. And it all smells heavenly. No you can't go to the fair without having some tasty treats. But the question is what can you have that is still on the safe side of the Atkins diet.
What once was a celebration of crops and livestock that the local farmers had raised has morphed into something completely different in the past years. Sure, you can still go see the 4H clubs collection of bunnies and there may be the hanger with cows somewhere, but its a bit more corporate now. Bright carnival rides and games covered in neon lights decorate the walkway, and a festival of vendors selling their as-seen-on-TV wares litter the hallways. Despite these changes and updates, one thing has always remained the same. Food. You cant go to the fair and ignore the food. It's impossible. Corn dogs, ice cream, Deep fried...well deep fried everything. And it all smells heavenly. No you can't go to the fair without having some tasty treats. But the question is what can you have that is still on the safe side of the Atkins diet.
My wife and I recently attended the OC Fair (whose themes was coincidentally "lets eat") and regardless of the deep fried treats we were bombarded by we did take the time to notice some wonderful treats that were lower carbe. Here are some suggestions for your next trip out.
Turkey Legs - Feel like a king with one of these massive legs of meat in your hands. See how you earn the respect of those around you instantly as you show others that you are not happy to simply eat an animal, but an entire leg of one. Its in our nature as carnivores to hold a drumstick in the air and celebrate our recent battle. what Battle? Why the battle of taste of course.
BBQ Ribs or Beef Brisket - Yeah, there is sweet BBQ sauce on them. But the smoky flavor of meat that has been slowly cooked all day is a hard thing to ignore. And you can eat like its going out of style.
Turkey Legs - Feel like a king with one of these massive legs of meat in your hands. See how you earn the respect of those around you instantly as you show others that you are not happy to simply eat an animal, but an entire leg of one. Its in our nature as carnivores to hold a drumstick in the air and celebrate our recent battle. what Battle? Why the battle of taste of course.
BBQ Ribs or Beef Brisket - Yeah, there is sweet BBQ sauce on them. But the smoky flavor of meat that has been slowly cooked all day is a hard thing to ignore. And you can eat like its going out of style.
Sausage and Grilled Veggies - A lot of these come on a large bread roll that i suggest you just ignore. You should be able to and still get your fill of food cause if you get the right one it will still be huge. Many of these will come with yummy grilled peppers and onions with it if you ask. It may be a little extra, but its very tasty.
Fresh Fruit - There were several stands offering fresh cold berries to eat. Juicy, plump and full of sweetness. Why not go back to the days of old when a simply fresh strawberry was a celebration of the hard work and efforts of the surrounding farmers. Some stands may offer some whip cream to enjoy them with too. Simple and delicious.
Every fair has its local items too, So look around and stay strong. You don't have to sacrifice flavor when you eat low carb at the fair. You may have to sacrifice oil, grease, batter, and wooden sticks to hold them all on; but never flavor.
Fresh Fruit - There were several stands offering fresh cold berries to eat. Juicy, plump and full of sweetness. Why not go back to the days of old when a simply fresh strawberry was a celebration of the hard work and efforts of the surrounding farmers. Some stands may offer some whip cream to enjoy them with too. Simple and delicious.
Every fair has its local items too, So look around and stay strong. You don't have to sacrifice flavor when you eat low carb at the fair. You may have to sacrifice oil, grease, batter, and wooden sticks to hold them all on; but never flavor.
