8 Hard-to-Resist Fair Foods That'll Sadly Ruin Your Diet

The crunchy sweetness of funnel cake is a fair classic, and it seems like people are always coming up with new, even more decadent variations on the classic. Resist the temptation if you're trying to keep a healthy diet; deep-fried dough and the high sugar content make it a heavy, high-fat food with pretty much no nutritional value.

Almost everyone loves a delicious hot dog, but the fried and battered variety you're likely to find at a fair is a salty, greasy, double layer of processed food products. Best to skip this one, and make a healthier zucchini version at home.

You heard that right: one day, somewhere far, far away, in the magical land where fat and calories mean nothing, someone decided to deep-fry a candy bar. This fair snack takes a bad-for-you sugary indulgence and adds batter, deep-fries it in oil, and then adds some more sugar on top. We're not against having a bite or two of this doughy deliciousness, but to meet your healthy goals, don't get your own portion.

Don't let its pretty pastel and airy texture fool you: cotton candy is not a light snack. You probably know the dangers of too much sugar, and this treat is literally nothing more than spun sugar on a stick.

At first, a pulled pork sandwich seems less terrible than your other choices at a fair — at least it has real meat, and maybe even a few stray veggies. But when you add up the greasy pork, the high amounts of fat, sodium, and sugar in the sauce, and the carbs in the bun, you're better off finding some home-cooked pork recipes.

Pie doesn't have to be a diet-breaker. There are plenty of relatively healthy pie recipes out there to satisfy a craving for the sweet pastry. The ones you find at a fair are not the pies you're looking for, because they're usually made with tons of butter, and even sugary syrup.

A pretzel seems like a healthy-ish option at the fair. It's not deep-fried and not covered in sugar or sauce, so what could be bad about it, right? In reality, a giant soft pretzel is not only packed with more salt than we need, but it's a carby, buttery snack that won't do you — or your waistline — any favors.

Turkey, a lean protein, is supposed to be good for us, so what makes these fair staples so bad? Lack of portion control. The massive servings you can find at a fair are enough for at least two people, and are packed with salt and grease, so any health benefits of choosing turkey are pretty much outweighed.