( CNN ) -- Jackie Alpers , a photographer from Tucson , Arizona , has documented food at her local county fair for the past couple of years . `` My favorite fair food has elements of the unexpected , '' she said . `` It 's bigger and weirder than the food I see every day , and it evokes awe ... the more absurd the better . '' Alpers , who tries mostly everything she photographs , drew the line when she snapped a picture of Super Fries -- french fries covered in pinto beans , chile sauce and cheese . `` It looked like they weighed about two pounds and that there was enough for a family of four to share , '' she said . `` I 'd say there was more saturated fat on that plate than I care to imagine . '' But fat and calories are n't enough to stop many fair-goers from indulging in such creations once a year , even when healthy options are available . Fair foods can be enjoyed in moderation , says Dr. Donald Hensrud , who specializes in nutrition and preventive medicine at the Mayo Clinic . `` Instead of kind of throwing caution to the wind ... it 's still possible to enjoy yourself and enjoy some good tastes , yet stay reasonably on track . '' For that , Hensrud offered some suggestions : . Before you go . Devise a plan ahead of time . `` Put a little thought into it -- what kinds of foods do you want to try ? How much do you want to eat ? '' he said . `` Just have a general plan instead of going in and just eating everything in sight or the first thing that you see . '' A workout and a healthy meal can help you resist temptation later . `` If you do n't eat anything in the morning , you might get there and be ravenous ... that can lead to overeating , '' Hensrud said . The deep-fried belly of the fair food beast . During the fair . Splitting food with family or friends allows smaller tastes of multiple things . In addition , you can satisfy yourself by having a little bit of food when you get to the fair , Hensrud suggested . He said it 's best to stop eating before you 're full . `` You 'll be glad that you did later on , '' he says . Remember to use some common sense . Limit portion sizes of fatty or fried foods . He also recommended using your time at the fair to get in a great walk , helping to burn off some of those calories . Finally , do n't forget that liquid calories add up . Stay well-hydrated with water . Following the fair . Indulging once a year `` is n't going to cause a huge amount of problems , '' Hensrud said . `` We can recover from that relatively easily . '' `` People should forgive themselves and move on ... and not throw in the towel completely if they do overindulge . '' Hensrud advised fair-goers to focus their attention elsewhere , instead of solely on the food . Typically , people can take in an abundance of sights and sounds from arts and crafts , scale-tipping pumpkins , livestock and live entertainment . For Alpers , there is always something new to see -- and taste -- every year . She is looking forward to documenting next year 's fair . `` Everyone has their own trigger and the fair is a perfect excuse to pull it , '' she said . `` The look of excitement on their face is unmistakable , and similar to the look I see in line for the roller coaster or the freak show . '' Fried Kool-Aid at the San Diego Fair .
Fair and festival-goers spend millions on concession food every year . From fried Oreos to `` Super Fries , '' the possibilities are endlessly fattening . Fair foods can be enjoyed in moderation , says Dr. Donald Hensrud .