Eating Healthy on Vacation

"Remember that the purpose of food is to provide your body with the nutrients it needs to function properly. So if you want to achieve your true health potential, you need to nourish your body and take care of it. This isn't just something you do for a while and then quit, this is what you need to do everyday for the rest of your life--even when you're on vacation! Here are a few suggestions that can help you make the best food choices while you're away from home."

Wise Traditions in Food, Farming and the Healing Arts, the quarterly magazine of the Weston A. Price Foundation, Summer 2003.

The Healthy Vacation Guide

Eat and Exercise the Right Way, Away From Home

-- By Nicole Nichols, Fitness Instructor & Health Educator

Vacation season is here! You deserve a break, after spending the last few months becoming a fitter, healthier you, right? While vacation is a time to relax and take a break from work, stress, and the usual routine, it shouldn’t be a break from your healthy habits. With a little planning, you can enjoy your vacation and still maintain your current weight and fitness level. Whatever your plans – a family road trip, a tropical cruise, a sightseeing tour, or relaxing on the beach – you can avoid packing on those dreaded vacation pounds by packing some healthy foods and workout gear instead. Roadies If you’re traveling by car, you’ve already spent a lot of time planning your course. We all want to make good time, but it’s also important to schedule several breaks into your itinerary, especially if you have kids:

Pack a cooler full of healthy snacks, and even complete meals. Chopped veggies, fresh fruits, bottled water and juice, low-fat yogurt, peanut butter sandwiches, popcorn and pretzels make easy travel fare.

Don’t skip meals, and try not to go more than 4 or 5 hours without eating. Being famished at mealtime may hinder your ability to make healthy choices and trigger overeating. Plus, constant energy levels will keep you alert at the wheel.

Avoid eating full meals in the car. Take time to stop, relax and enjoy your meal. This way, you can pay closer attention to your hunger and satiety signals.

Plan exercise and stretching breaks as well. Just three 10-minute pit stops add up to 30 minutes of activity. Go for a quick jog or walk, stretch and run around with the kids. Back in the car, you’ll be more alert and energetic.

Avoid coffee and caffeinated drinks. While they do give you a short energy burst, the drop when caffeine wears off can make you even more tired. For stable energy levels, drink plenty of water and eat healthy, whole foods that keep blood sugar levels from spiking and dropping.

Be wary of fast food and roadside restaurants. If you have no other options, choose the healthiest possible items and keep portion sizes small. One way to avoid excess calories and fat is to hold the mayo, special sauces, cheese and dressings. Also opt for non-breaded items and kid-sized portions. Read up on more "menu watch words" here.

Frequent Flyers Despite appearances – a plethora of fast foods, snacks and lots of sitting around – flights and airports offer plenty of nutritious food and opportunity for activity, if you know where to look:

Try to eat a healthy meal before you arrive. You’ll be less likely to munch on high-calorie snacks just because they’re around or you’re bored.

If eating in an airport, it’s worth it to spend the time searching out healthy foods. Look for salads, fresh fruit, vegetable-based soups and baked chicken.

While trekking through the airport, take every opportunity for extra movement. Use the stairs, pass on the people movers and carry your own luggage.

Instead of sitting around before boarding the plane, use the time to walk. You’ll arrive early enough to fit in 15-20 minutes of walking, so take advantage of it. After all, you’re about to sit for an entire flight.

Call the airline 48 hours in advance to see if a meal is offered. Typical in-flight dinners can have as many calories (over 1,000) as a fast food meal, and even more fat! Special order a diabetic, low-fat, vegetarian, child, or religious meal. Or, pack your own lunch to ensure you get exactly what you want.

Flying can easily dehydrate you, so drink plenty of water. Drinking one glass per hour in flight will ward off dehydration and jetlag.

It’s okay to get up and walk through the aisles a few times when you are feeling antsy during a long flight.

Cruise Control Cruises offer so many opportunities for fun and exploring. But they are also known for their rich, gourmet food that is available round the clock. You don’t have to totally deprive yourself to stay in shape. Moderation, along with participation in the many opportunities that cruises offer for fitness, will keep you sailing smoothly:

At buffets, fill your plate only once. Load 50% of your plate with vegetables and choose small portions of other foods you want to try.

If you splurge and eat a rich meal, try to balance it out with a healthy, vegetable meal. Eat lighter the rest of the day.

If ordering dessert, don’t make it a daily habit. And when you do, split it with someone else.

Most cruises offer a healthier "spa menu." Order from this when you can. And, when ordering at any meal, be very specific about what you do and do not want. You can omit ingredients and specify how you want something to be cooked (steamed instead of fried).

Plan for fitness every day. Cruises usually offer complete gyms, aerobics classes, trainers, running tracks and pools. Go dancing in the disco in the evening and play plenty of beach games when docked. Take a morning walk around the track while enjoying the sights and fresh air.

Staying Inn Shape As the demand for healthy eating and exercising rises, hotels are responding to their guests. There’s no reason not to work out or eat right just because you’re away from home. Calling ahead and working with the concierge will help you find all the things you need to make your vacation a healthy one:

When checking in, refuse the mini-bar key. Not only are the prices outrageous, but the choices are not the healthiest. Instead, find a nearby health food store or grocery and stock up on good-for-you snacks. If your room/floor has a fridge or microwave, you can also get enough foods to prepare healthy meals. If a coffee maker is all you get, buy instant soups or oatmeal and prepare them with the hot water.

If ordering room service, be specific about what you want, whether or not it is on the menu. Most places will accommodate your healthy requests and substitutions.

Before leaving home, find out what fitness opportunities the hotel offers. While most will have a pool, others may offer tennis, walking paths, bike rentals and full gyms. Then, pack the appropriate clothes, shoes and gear.

If your hotel does not have a gym, ask if they are affiliated with a nearby local gym. Many will offer day passes at a discount for hotel guests.

Ask the concierge about healthy restaurants, markets, parks, trails and maps.

Design your own hotel room workout. All you need to pack is some lightweight, cheap equipment: resistance bands, a jump rope and a sticky mat. Most bands will come with illustrated exercises. You can also do push-ups, crunches, lunges, squats and triceps dips on a chair.

Remember to pack walking shoes, a swimsuit, exercise equipment and loose, comfortable clothing. And with all that time in the sun, don’t forget shades, a hat and plenty of sunscreen. It’s worth the time it takes to plan ahead for a healthy trip, but be realistic. You probably won’t lose weight on vacation, but maintenance is possible. Remember, vacation (like exercise) should be fun! Try new things, sightsee on foot, go rock climbing or surfing, and definitely enjoy the good food without total deprivation. Being healthy is a lifestyle, not a quick fix. So, follow these tips to return home with plenty of memories and souvenirs, not extra pounds. This article has been reviewed by Becky Hand, Licensed and Registered Dietician

Healthy eating tips for vacation

Healthy restaurant eating, road trip healthy eating tips and more

By: Jillian Scheeler

With temptation lurking in every corner cafe?, it's difficult eating healthy while on vacation. There's no sense ruining your diet for a weekend of excessive eating. The key is to find the happy medium between denying fatty foods and an occasional indulgence, and you'll be on your way to healthy vacation eating. However, there are a few healthy eating tips and tricks to follow while on vacation.

Breakfast and lunch alternatives

Without a doubt breakfast is your most important meal of the day and should not be skipped. If the hotel you are staying in has continental breakfast, stay away from the carb-ladden bagels, fatty pastries and donuts, and go with the fresh fruits or fiber rich cereals instead. If you are on your own for breakfast, visit a local farmers market or health food store and pick up some fresh fruit or granola. Many of the vacation spots may have unique farmers markets, allowing you the opportunity to try new and delicious items.

Eating out not - pigging out: Healthy restaurant eating tips

When on vacation the majority of your meals are eaten at restaurants. In today's society, healthy options can be found on almost any menu, even at McDonald's; however, the main concerns with eating out are the portion sizes and making the right choice. There are several things vacationers can do to guide them towards healthy restaurant eating. The first key to eating healthy while at restaurants is to stay away from anything fried or with a mysterious special sauce and go with anything grilled, broiled or steamed. Second, appetizers offer smaller portions in comparison to full meals. Third, try sharing a meal or only eat half of what you order and take the rest home in a doggy bag for lunch the next day. Most importantly though, just because the food is in front of you, does not mean you have to finish your plate - stop eating when you feel full.

Tasty treats: When to indulge

It is important to remember that when you are vacationing, you are walking around more than normal and burning more calories. So not only is it important to keep hydrated at all times, but with all those extra calories burned, there's room for a little bit of indulgence. Every city has unique foods and treats that you shouldn't pass up. For instance, if you're vacationing in New Orleans, their famous French donut, the beignet, shouldn't be passed up and you shouldn't have to. Once again, it is all about how much you eat, so limit your treats to one a day.

Healthy eating tips for flying

Airplane food is not the most delicious or the healthiest. Airports don't offer many healthy alternatives either. Therefore, to stay healthy while flying eat a healthy meal or snack before you fly or bring with some healthy snacks. The best food choices to bring with on the airplane are portable snacks like fresh fruit, granola, trail mixes and whole grain crackers. Also, wraps are a great heartier, healthy option that travel well and that can be left un-refrigarated for awhile. Most importantly though, it is important to remain hydrated while flying, so drink lots of water and stay away from sodas and especially alcohol.

Road trip healthy eating tips

Eating healthy and road trips are two words that are not commonly used together, but it is possible. It is too easy to pull over at a roadside diner and grab a burger or pick up some sugary snacks and greasy chips at the gas station. There are alternatives to both of these. Pack a cooler full of healthy snacks like fresh fruits and vegetables, healthy sandwiches, yogurt, granola and of course lots of water so you remain hydrated. While driving, you need to pull over often to stretch your legs and eat. When it comes to lunch you can eat sandwiches that you've made or if you must stop at a fast-food place there are things you can do. Many restaurants have healthy options like a salad or go with just the burger and skip the cheese and condiments or go with a grilled chicken alternative.

Eating healthy while on vacation is easy to do if you just keep these healthy eating tips in mind, especially healthy restaurant eating tips. Remember, you are on vacation so it's okay to indulge now and then, if you make healthy decisions the rest of the time.