Which State Has the Healthiest Favorite Food (And Which Are the Least Healthy)?

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.

Related: Healthy Recipes for Your Favorite Comfort Foods

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.

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

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

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

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

Healthy BBQ Recipes

Healthy Pie Recipes