It is summer!! It's a time to eat, drink and get lots of vitamin D. The best place to get all three is at a festival. Growing up in the mid-west, I remember there were festivals all the time. One of my favorite festivals is the Summerfest Music Festival in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It's not just that awesome bands play all day on eleven different stages, or that Leinenkugel cold beer is on tap, but it’s also that there are multiple unique food vendors. All kinds of ethnic and local staples abound such as fried cheese curls, fried Italian eggplant strips with marinara sauce, Irish Reuben egg rolls, Greek gyros, Thai chicken satay with peanut sauce, American fried cookie ice cream and mini cake donuts, plus much, much more. All I have to say is, "Holy saturated fat, Batman!" Well, guess what? I had a taste or two of everything listed above, and it was yummy! Yes, dietitians are human, and we do like to "experience" different cuisines. Over the five hours at the fest I consumed approximately 1565 calories with 41% fat (mostly saturated fat) and 1630 mg of sodium. To prepare for this day, I went for a three-mile run and ate a 350 calorie breakfast. Needless to say, I was not hungry at the end of the day. Also, Summerfest features a lot of walking and, of course, dancing; so I made sure I kept moving to expend the energy I was consuming.
The key to success is PORTION CONTROL and MOVEMENT. I know we've heard that before, but it is the truth. I didn’t finish full portions of anything I ate. Tasting a variety of foods was fun, and I had more then enough to eat.
You can enjoy a festival and not feel guilty, because it's only once a year. I have to admit that sometimes I also go to the Taste of Chicago during the same week. Fortunately, now the two festivals are held during different weeks, so I might have to spread my vacation time out a bit longer.
Remember eating the above menu on a daily basis would be ill-advised.
Have a fabulous summer!!!!
Mickey Albrecht, a dietitian with The Food Connection.
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