How to Eat Healthy on Vacation
Eating healthy can be a great way for you to feel good while you enjoy a break from your day-to-day routine.
Sure, there will be treats you want to have while you are away, maybe go to your favorite ice cream shop or have a dish that you love that is a must-have where you are visiting.
But the point is, you don’t need to throw all of your healthy habits out the window because you are on vacation. With a little effort, you can stay on track AND enjoy your travels.
Follow these tips on your next vacation to feel great during your travels and when you return:
Plan ahead. If you don’t already know the area you are visiting, take a few minutes to look up restaurants, supermarkets, and shops where you are heading. If you are staying in a hotel, glance over the available menus in advance. This will help you gauge what is available to you, and you can plan accordingly by having some healthy snacks on hand or prioritizing a trip to the grocery store if you know your options at the hotel or local restaurants are limited. And, it’s best to do this before you are hungry and have low options because that’s when you are most likely to make a food decision you normally wouldn’t.
Set reasonable parameters. If you go into your vacation planning to be strict with your diet, the smallest deviation may veer you off course and send you into a complete binge-fest. When it comes to health, nutrition, and exercise being too extreme one way or the other can be detrimental. So, go in with some parameters that you know you can stick with. For example, you might say that you won’t have dessert every night, only some nights. You can plan to walk every day and do 50 squats. Keep it simple.
Choose the healthiest option available. Remember, if your initial healthy choice isn’t available you don’t have to throw everything out the window. Go with the healthiest option available. This applies whether you are stopping at a roadside eatery in your travels or at a beachside restaurant for lunch, or anything in between really. Sure, it may not be the most “exciting” option, but the food is fuel and you will feel better if you don’t totally pig out.
Give your body time to digest. Especially overnight. Try fasting for 12 hours from the time of your last meal at night to your first meal in the morning. You will be sleeping for most of that time, so it shouldn’t be too hard. For example, if you last ate at 10 pm, don’t sweat it, just wait until 10 am to have breakfast. This will at least give your body time to digest, and after all, that’s what we want it to do.
Eat a salad as often as possible. Salads can be light, filling, and refreshing, especially if you are somewhere warm. Try to eat a salad every day if you can, at least once a day. And if you can’t, no biggie, just have one as often as possible. Save your splurges for another meal.
Totally treat yourself. You are on vacation and it’s important that you relax and enjoy yourself. And yes, enjoying yourself sometimes includes enjoying an awesome treat. Treating yourself doesn’t need to turn into an every meal every day thing. It won’t even feel as enjoyable if it’s overdone. Treat yourself to something awesome, savor it and enjoy it!
Stay active! This can be as simple as walking or doing an activity that you love, like swimming, hiking, biking, kayaking, paddleboarding, etc. Make it a point to keep your body moving throughout the day. If you have time for a scheduled workout, great, but if not, don’t worry. Just keep moving.
BONUS TIP: Everything in moderation. Even if you forget all the other tips, remember this one. Your body doesn’t like extremes. It likes moderate eating, sleeping, and activity levels. Your body wants to stay balanced and operating optimally. You are on vacation and you deserve to enjoy yourself. Have what you want to have… in moderation. You will enjoy yourself (and your treat) that much more.
Try one, some, or all of the above tips on your next vacation. See how you feel. Feeling good and enjoying your trip is the reward, not food. We hope these tips help you make mindful choices so you can enjoy the overall vacation experience.
We would love to hear your experience, so please share in the comments section.