Iowa State Fair – 4 Tips for Eating Fair Food

By Jill Feilmeier on August 15, 2013 in Healthy Living

Ah fair food!

It's one Iowa's most treasured guilty pleasures.

Nothing excites me more about the Iowa State Fair than devouring a powder sugar topped funnel cake before heading over to see the butter cow.

As hard as it is for me to admit, fair food isn’t the friendliest for your teeth.

Now, I'd never suggest you skip the fair food – you have to live a little, right? Instead, follow our 4 tips to stay tooth-friendly, even at the Iowa State Fair!

1) Carry water – not only will water keep you hydrated, you can rinse out your mouth after a sugary splurge.

2) Avoid sticky and hard candies – taffy, caramels, hard candy and other sweets that linger in your mouth will increase your risk of cavities. The longer sugar has contact with the bacteria in your mouth, the more acid there is to eat away at your enamel.

3) Bring floss – between pork chops on a stick and turkey legs tempting your taste buds, you might have to work extra hard to get food out of your teeth. A quick floss session can help!

4) Brush your teeth – once you're at home with a full stomach, you might be drawn to your fluffy couch to rest your head. Try to brush your teeth as soon as you get home instead. The sooner you destroy the sugar bugs, the better off you are!

Do you have any suggestions for attendees of the Iowa State Fair? Leave them in the comments below.