Which State Has the Healthiest Favorite Food (And Which Are the Least Healthy)?
Do you live in a state that eats healthy food or not-so-healthy? Here's a look at how state favorites rank.
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Image: c/o Amica International
When it comes to food, where you live helps determine what you eat. As a born-and-raised New Yorker, bagels and pizza were a weekly staple in my diet and now that I live in Vermont I put maple syrup on everything. I kid, I kid, mostly on pancakes, but since moving here I do eat more maple syrup.
So I was intrigued when Amica came out with a new visual report on the United Plates of America. They compiled data from Google search results and put together a list of the top foods from each state. How would state favorites like fried green tomatoes (Alabama), French fries (Idaho) and funeral potatoes (Utah) stack up nutritonally? Read on to see where your state favorite food and where it falls, plus get the full list of all state's iconic food favorites below.
States with the Healthiest and Unhealthiest Favorite Foods
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Pictured Recipe: Oven-Fried Pickles
For their United Plates of America report, Amica identified the foods with the most calories, carbs and fat. Eating fat and carbs isn't a bad thing, you just might want to moderate your intake and eat more healthy carbs (think: whole grains not sugar) and healthy fats (think olive oil). Calories also aren't a bad thing, they are energy and fuel for our body after all, but it's not a bad idea to keep portions in check for some of the higher-calorie foods on this list.
The heat map created indicates states with lower, middle and higher levels of calories, fat or carbs. Take all of the nutrition numbers with a grain of salt, because there is a lot of variation in portion sizes and ingredients in recipes for some of these foods. Clam chowder, for example, is listed as low calorie, but only if you stick to a reasonable portion. It's fun to look and see how your state compares though. Each plate is surrounded by it's macronutrient breakdown of fat, protein and carbs. Grey is fat, light blue is protein and dark blue is carbohydrates.
The healthiest state food per this registered dietitian-wild salmon from Alaska. Salmon is a great source of heart-healthy omega-3s. Eating salmon (and other fatty fish) regularly can also help boost your mood and decrease anxiety.
And while I'd love to see more vegetables on this list that aren't deep-fried, you could always oven-fry your green tomatoes or pickles.
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States with the Lowest-Calorie Favorite Food
- New Mexico: Green chili
- Virginia: Baked apples
- Massachussets: Clam chowder
- Louisiana: Shrimp gumbo
States with the Highest-Calorie Favorite Foods
- New Jersey – Hot Dog
- Ohio – Buckeyes
- Illinois – Chicago Deep Pan Pizza
- Maryland – Crab Cakes
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States with the Lowest-Carb Favorite Food
- South Dakota: Chislic
- Alaska: Smoked wild salmon
- Wisconsin: Bratwurst and Sauerkraut
States with the Highest-Carb Favorite Foods
- North Dakota – Lefse
- Ohio – Buckeyes
- Georgia – Peach Cobbler
- Indiana – Sugar Cream Pie
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States with the Lowest-Fat Favorite Foods
- Hawaii: Poi
- New Mexico: Green Chilli
- Virginia: Baked Apples
States with the Highest-Fat Favorite Foods
- New Jersey – Hot Dog
- Maryland – Crab Cakes
- Ohio – Buckeyes
- Wisconsin – Bratwurst and Sauerkraut
What Is Each State's Favorite Food?
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Image: c/o Amica International
Alabama:
Fried green tomatoes
Alaska:
Smoked wild salmon
Arizona:
Green corn tamale
Arkansas:
Fried pickles
California:
Fish tacos
Colorado:
Rocky Mountain oysters
Connecticut:
New Haven pizza
Delaware:
Vinegar french fries
Florida:
Key lime pie
Georgia:
Peach cobbler
Hawaii:
Poi
Idaho:
French fries
Illinois:
Chicago deep pan pizza
Indiana:
Sugar cream pie
Iowa:
Pork Tenderloin Sandwich
Kansas:
Kansas City-style ribs
Kentucky:
Fried chicken
Louisiana:
Shrimp gumbo
Maine:
Lobster roll
Maryland:
Crab cakes
Massachussets:
Clam chowder
Michigan:
Michigan pasty
Minnesota:
Tater tot hot dish
Mississippi:
Mississippi mud pie
Missouri:
Toasted ravioli
Montana:
Huckleberry pie
Nebraska:
Runza
Nevada:
Vegas shrimp cocktail
New Hampshire:
Boiled dinner
New Jersey:
Hot dog
New Mexico:
Green chili
New York:
Reuben Sandwich
North Carolina:
Pulled pork slider
North Dakota:
Lefse
Ohio:
Buckeyes
Oklahoma:
Biscuits and gravy
Oregon:
Marionberry pie
Pennslyvania:
Cheeseteak
Rhode Island:
Clam cakes
South Carolina:
Shrimp and grits
South Dakota:
Chislic
Tennessee:
Sweet potato fries
Texas:
Texas BBQ brisket
Utah:
Funeral potatoes
Vermont:
Blueberry maple pancakes
Virginia:
Baked apples
Washington:
Cedar planked salmon
West Virginia:
Pepperoni roll
Wisconsin:
Bratwurst and sauerkraut
Wyoming:
Chicken fried steak, mash, gravy