Trends for July 2, 2001

Lisa Ferguson

Monday, July 2, 2001 | 8:30 a.m.

Patriotic pigout

Some information to ponder as you're chowing down around the barbecue Wednesday Independence Day courtesy of nutricise.com, the homepage for the weight-loss program Nutricise:

The website did the math based on a typical Fourth of July feast and figured the average American will consume 3,192 calories on the holiday.

It also suggests cutting back by eating healthier items: a 3-ounce grilled skinless chicken breast (142 calories, 3 fat grams); a 5-ounce grilled veggie burger on a bun (310 calories, 2 grams of fat); or a cup of low-fat coleslaw (90 calories, 7 fat grams).

In the spirit of our founding fathers, we remind that this is a free country, folks, and the choice is yours.

Proper popcorn

If you do decide to help yourself to some munchies, however, Don Sothman has you covered.

The Wisconsin man is the inventor of a new device called the Popcorn Fork. His aim carrying on with the Independence Day theme of this column is to free people from the greasy fingers and napkins that accompany the task of eating buttery popcorn.

Alrighty then. Oppressed popcorn fans unite!

The plastic fork is held similar to a pencil and can also be used to pick up other finger foods. It's dishwasher safe and comes with a built-in saltshaker. A dozen forks cost $9.95 (plus shipping and handling).

Sothman is also hawking his latest invention, the Dip-Dunker-Bowl Set, with wells in which to hold dipping sauces for the popcorn (that he hopes you'll eat with his forks) for $24.97. Both products are available on his website, popcornfork.com, and by calling (888) 931-2207.

Play ball

It wouldn't be summer without baseball. And, come to find out, the sport has celebrated some of its major milestones on July 4.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame offers some trivia on its website, baseballhalloffame.org:

What a game. What a country.