How To Eat Healthy On Vacation
How To Eat Healthy On Vacation: It’s time to start your summer trips. Whatever place you’re visiting, one of the best parts of your trip is trying the real food from that area. Immersing yourself in the local food is one of the best parts of traveling. In the Caribbean, you can eat beans and rice, and in Greece, you can eat soups and fava beans dripping with olive oil (the top picture is from a Greek restaurant).
It’s important to find a mix between your nutrition goals and your enjoyment of cooking. You want to feel better and be able to fit back into your clothes after your trip. The question that many people have is how to balance sticking to their health goals with getting as many sun-filled holiday days as possible.
So, I talked to a few well-known nutritionists to get their best diet advice. Read on for their professional tips, and then you can start your summer vacation with confidence.
Vacations are great because they give us a break from work, but they can also cause us to do things that we wouldn’t normally do. In order to stick to strict meal plans, this doesn’t mean you should never try foreign food. Even dietitians need to take a break sometimes, like on vacation.
Our tips on how to eat well while traveling will help you enjoy your trip more without having to carry around extra bags. Don’t worry if you find yourself carrying extra stuff; occasional treats will keep you from moving forward in the long run.
How to Eat Healthy While Traveling
Ehsani says that in the days before your holiday, you shouldn’t make strict rules, go on a diet, or skip meals. It might even make you overindulge and eat too much while you’re on vacation because you’re hungry. Instead, Ehsani says to stick to a normal eating schedule and eat well-balanced meals before your trip.
“If you anticipate dining out frequently during your vacation, consider increasing your home-cooked meals in the weeks prior,” said Ehsani. (If you need help planning your meals, here are some simple meal ideas that dietitians say are good for you.)
Fill in some plastic zip-top bags or containers that can be folded up with your favorite healthy snacks before you leave. Kathryn Brooking, RD, co-founder of the San Francisco-based nutrition news website Appetite for Health, says, “I always make sure I have healthy snacks for the plane, car, or train ride before I go.”
“Finding healthy snack options on the go can be challenging in some places like gas stations, airports, and kiosks. Plus, buying snacks on the move can quickly become expensive, so bringing some from home is ideal.” Some snacks she suggests:
According to Brooking, a lot of tourists have stomach problems. Before you go on vacation, eat a lot of probiotic foods like yogurt, kefir, kimchi, and sauerkraut. Consider bringing a probiotic pill with you, like HUM Nutrition’s Gut Instinct, to help your gut stay healthy.
Also, Ehsani says, “If you’re worried about keeping up with balanced meals while traveling, consider bringing a multivitamin with you.” It is also helpful to bring a vitamin C supplement or eat citrus fruits like oranges and strawberries while you’re away.
How to eat on vacation without feeling terrible
Most of the time, we get to eat some of the tastiest meals of our lives while we are on vacation. They can, however, lead to rushed breakfasts at airports, skipped lunches, and buying fast food on the spot, which could be more healthy and fulfilling.
Who hasn’t wanted a bowl of watermelon after a long day of driving and eating fried food?
We are creatures of habit, so when we break our routine, we have to change things about the way we eat, exercise, think, and so on… They are often forgotten. A registered dietitian nutritionist in Brooklyn named Maya Feller wrote the cookbook “Eating From Our Roots.” She says, “Once you start a journey, you stop doing what you normally do.”
It’s normal for guests to run out of healthy food choices, and the holiday mood may make them eat more additives than they normally would. Their eating and drinking habits while they’re traveling can make them feel bad, even if they’re not trying to track calories or lose weight.
Healthy eating at the cottage
To add a tasty twist, cook fish, pork kabobs, or seasoned tofu. Try turkey burgers or chicken breast for a lean protein choice. Vegetables cooked on a grill, like red peppers, strawberries, peaches, zucchini, and eggplant, also taste great.
To make a fresh salad, mix your favorite veggies with some things that have been kept in the fridge. For a tasty change, add cooked chicken, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, or even beans that have been rinsed and drained to make them lower in salt.
If you want something sweet, add any peaches, berries, apples, or plums that you have left over. To make it taste better, add a little low-fat salad dressing. You can also make your own with oil, flavored vinegar, herbs, and spices.
Summer is the best time to enjoy fresh vegetables that are in season, like corn on the cob, berries, peaches, and apples. Try to find recipes that highlight these great foods, and eat them often for meals and snacks.
Making Your Vacation Healthy Goes Beyond Food
What you eat isn’t the only thing that will keep you healthy on vacation. At first, it might be hard to relax, but one great thing about travel is that it lets you get away from the stresses of everyday life.
There are definitely some parts of going that can be hard, like getting used to new places or languages. But this kind of worry may also be good because it can help you grow as a person and give you a bigger picture of the world.
You should put your health first and be fully present while you’re on holiday so that you can fully enjoy the moments that you hope will become memories you will cherish. These five tips will make your trip better and make sure you feel great the whole time you’re away:
Picture yourself completely at ease while you enjoy a coffee at a nearby café or relax on the beach. All of a sudden, an important text message from a friend or your boss shows up. When we travel, we’re supposed to get away from the stress of everyday life, but a lot of us end up going back to old habits, like checking our phones for emails.
It might not always be possible to take a vacation and not use any technology, but there are ways to make it less of a problem.
Realize that your daily responsibilities will still be there when you get back, take a few deep breaths, check your email only once a day (and make sure your “away” alerts are turned on), and think about getting a book from the library to read in its entirety. Living in the present can help you get the most out of your trip.
Healthy eating on the road
Keep a cooler or snack bag with ice packs full of low-fat granola bars, fresh fruit, pre-cut vegetables, unsalted nuts and seeds, and whole-grain bread with low-fat cheese on hand to make sure you’re ready. This saves you not only time but also money! Make sure to bring some of these treats with you when you travel by bus, plane, or train.
Make a list of the places you want to visit and plan your route before you leave. Look at their menus ahead of time to find foods that are lower in calories, fat, and salt.
Because restaurant serving sizes can be quite big, it’s better to order smaller amounts and stay away from things like cheese, gravy, or thick sauces. Choosing smaller amounts lowers both the amount of fat and calories you eat.
When you go to a restaurant, choose baked or grilled foods over fried or deep-fried ones. Ask for more veggies and tell your kids to pick healthier foods.
If you want to stay hydrated, drink water, low-fat milk, or a small amount (125 mL or ½ cup) of 100% fruit juice instead of sugary drinks like soda or lemonade.
Can you eat healthy on vacation?
Bringing your own snacks can help you resist fast food or convenience store items when you’re on a road trip. Healthy choices include string cheese, cheese sticks, fresh fruits, nuts and protein bars. Snacks keep you full, provide nutrients and stop you from skipping meals, preventing overeating later.
When you’re on vacation, there may be a lot of tempting foods that make it hard to stick to a healthy diet. To have a pleasant trip, you must make smart choices, though. Here are some healthy holiday meal ideas to help you stay on track:
1. A healthy breakfast, like whole-grain toast with avocado or yogurt with fresh fruit, is a great way to start the day.
2. Pick a nice, light dinner like salad or soup.
3. A full meal is chicken or fish on the grill with brown rice and veggies.
4. During the day, drink a lot of water to stay refreshed. Also, feel free to enjoy some sweets every once in a while if you want to!
You can stick to a healthy eating plan while on vacation if you plan. Make a plan for your meals and do some study ahead of time. Don’t worry too much about sticking to a healthy diet; remember that balance is key. Instead, think about having fun, making memories, and finding choices that are both tasty and good for you.
How can I eat healthy on holiday?
When you face a spread of delicious holiday food, make healthy choices easier:
- Have a small plate of the foods you like best and then move away from the buffet table.
- Start with vegetables to take the edge off your appetite.
- Eat slowly.
- Avoid or limit alcohol.
To help you stick to your healthy eating plan while you’re away, you should bring some snacks with you. Making this happen makes sure you can always get healthy food, no matter where you are or how long it takes. For snacks on the go, nuts, yogurt, healthy grain crackers, fruits, and veggies are all great choices.
It’s very important to drink water while moving, especially when it’s hot. When you drink enough water, you stay hydrated and happy, which makes you less likely to eat unhealthy food. Always have a bottle of water with you so you can get it when you need it.
When you’re traveling and trying to eat healthy, eating at fast food places can quickly ruin your plans. Look for places that offer healthier options if you want to make a good choice. Most of the time, you can look this up online or ask the hotel staff for help.
How to lose fat on holiday?
Swimming in the local pool or in the ocean, walking along the beach, exploring tourist attractions on foot, shopping in local markets and walking up flights of stairs are all activities that many of us do on holiday, and they are all a great way to keep up with our exercise routines and helping with weight loss.
This time of year, a lot of people worry about gaining weight.
Overeating, drinking too much alcohol, and eating too many high-calorie foods are all common during the holidays. A study found that between mid-November and mid-January, people in Western countries gain an average of one pound (0.5 kg).
Even though this may not seem like much, a lot of people can’t lose the extra weight. No matter what time of year it is, holidays can make you gain a lot of weight.
It’s important to remember, though, that some people don’t gain weight during the holidays. A lot of families spend the holidays doing nothing active, like sitting on the couch and watching TV. Being inactive can make you gain weight, especially if you eat too much at the same time.
It is easier to keep your weight steady if you make exercise a part of your holiday habit. A simple family walk could give everyone a break from food and a chance to get to know each other better.
Can I eat a lot on vacation?
“Overeating” on vacation can be a perfectly healthy thing to do. Eating more food than usual on vacation makes sense. There are new (usually delicious) foods available that we don’t typically have access to (boardwalk fries, anyone?) and we want to enjoy them.
“A nutritionist highlighted, ‘The change in time zones, different daily activities, and late-night adventures can throw our bodies off balance, making us more susceptible to overeating.'”
Traveling is exciting, especially for foodies who want to try the food in other places. One of the best things about going on vacation is getting to eat your favorite foods and trying new ones. At these times, we let ourselves be relaxed and happy.
Unfortunately, sometimes we may eat too many unhealthy foods or indulge too much in unhealthy foods. Is it possible to get out of this?
In an Instagram post, dietitian Bhakti Arora Kapoor talked about how hard it is to control what we eat while we’re on holiday. She stressed that the point of travel is to relax and have fun, and food is a big part of that. It can be very appealing to eat out, try new foods, and enjoy local treats.
“On top of that, vacations often throw off our normal eating and exercise schedules,” Kapoor said. “The change in time zones, varied daily activities, and late-night excursions can throw our bodies off balance, making us more prone to overeating.”
Kapoor also addressed the psychological part, stating, “We may associate vacations with ‘cheat days,’ allowing ourselves to indulge excessively.”
Is it okay to not exercise on vacation?
In fact, she recommends everyone have at least one day off a week, and that you enjoy a break from your regular exercise routine during vacations. “Spending three or four non-consecutive weeks per year doing less training can be refreshing,” she says.
No need to worry if the thought of going on vacation and not doing your usual workouts makes you nervous. A personal trainer said that contrary to what most people think, taking a break from working out can actually help you get fitter faster.
“Many exercise enthusiasts overlook the fact that we don’t actually become fitter, stronger, lose body fat, or build muscle while we’re actively training,” the trainer said. “Instead, these changes occur during the recovery period between workouts, with a significant portion happening while we sleep.”
“If we’ve been consistently and effectively exercising, then incorporating a planned break during our vacation can actually be highly beneficial from a physiological standpoint,” they added.
A few weeks before an event, many top athletes cut back on how much they train to make sure they perform at their best.
But taking a break can throw off your progress if you have yet to work out often or have been having trouble sticking to a plan. On these occasions, adding some physical exercise to your trip might help you form good habits.
It makes sense that you’d want to treat yourself to some delicious food after a well-deserved vacation. You can only really say you’ve been to Paris once you’ve eaten a freshly baked croissant or some strawberry crepes filled with cream.
Also, who can say no to the draw of Italian gelato? It’s important to enjoy smartly. If you want to treat yourself, have one great meal or drink every day. Enjoy every bite slowly and in moderation.
Sharing is still another great idea. You should split your meal with a friend because street food vendors often serve big amounts. If you want to cut down on sugar and calories, pick lighter drinks like beer, wine spritzers, or thin Piña Coladas made with coconut water instead of cream or milk.
It may seem hard, but it is possible to eat healthy while traveling if you plan and follow a few simple steps. When going on longer trips, it’s a good idea to plan for healthier meal options at places, bring snacks like fruits and protein bars that are high in nutrients, and stop at grocery stores along the way to buy healthy meals.
Making smart meal choices instead of choosing junk food at fast food restaurants will save you money and time and also improve your health.
Also, if you pick healthy foods, eating while traveling might be fun. If you plan your vacation around a nutrition strategy, you can be sure that your food stays balanced and healthy, giving you the energy to see new places.