There is a certain amount of trial and error that goes into the process of learning to eat healthy. Once you finally nail the art of nutritious eating, you don’t want to flush all your hard work down the toilet simply because you’re vacationing. Here’s how to stick to your healthy eating plan while you’re on vacation.

Eat Before You Hit the Road

If you are traveling by air, eat a healthy meal before you get to the airport. This will minimize the likelihood of you raiding the vending machines and snack shops for cookies, chips and other fatty items. Also, stash a few healthy snacks like raisins, nuts and sunflower seeds in a plastic baggie and put them in your pocket just in case you get hungry while you are waiting for your flight. The airport can be a very difficult place to find healthy food. Make sure to look for grilled chickens and salads whenever possible.

If you are traveling by car, pack a cooler full of your favorite health foods. This will keep you from swinging by fast food joints and ordering greasy burgers and fries. Turkey on whole wheat, low fat yogurt, water, carrot sticks and boiled eggs are nutritious options you might consider packing. Also, avoiding fast food places at all costs is very important. Even the salads that you order from fast food joints are processed and not good for you.

Eating Right at Your Hotel

The most important aspect of your trip is your hotel, after all you are living there for the time being. Make sure that you plan ahead and find a place that offers the appropriate amenities and offerings that will allow you to maintain your healthy lifestyle while you are away. I have found that some due diligence can go a long way in this regard. On my most recent trip I found a great site that listed reviews for Las Vegas hotels regarding every aspect that you could possibly imagine. Not only was their detailed information on the hotel itself, but also on the restaurants in the surrounding area. This made it easier than ever to plan out the places to eat and stay healthy within as well as outside of the hotel. Stay at a hotel that has a grocery store nearby. After you settle in, stop by the store and pick up some healthy food to keep in your room. If you have a fridge in your room, you can buy low fat yogurt and lean meats. If you do not have a refrigerator, such foods as oatmeal, nuts and fresh fruits and vegetables are ideal.

Eat at Dine in Restaurants

Going out to eat and sampling native food is part of enjoying a vacation. Opt for dine in style restaurants instead of fast food joints. They tend to offer a better variety of healthy menu options. Choose dishes that are broiled, baked or steamed. Forget such fatty side items as onion rings, French fries, cheesy soups and loaded potatoes. Replace these foods with steamed veggies, salads or small, plain baked potatoes.

If portion sizes are large, share a meal with a friend of family member. If you have somewhere to store leftovers, ask for a carry out box and put half of your meal in the box to take with you.

A vacation gives you a chance to unwind and get away from the stresses of everyday life. The above tips will keep you from overindulging in too many unhealthy foods and sabotaging your health while you are on vacation.

ABOUT COLE MILLEN

Cole is an avid traveler and foodie who never forgets that life’s best memories are made through real life apprehension of legitimate “experiences.”

HOW TO REDUCE PORTION SIZES

The great American road trip is an essential part of most summers. And it wouldn’t be complete without stopping off for a bite to eat along the way. But, not only are healthy options on the highway often hard to find, the amount of food we’re served has gotten a lot bigger.

Even off the highway, in our very own communities, it’s not always easy to find healthy, smaller-sized meals. Servings everywhere have grown, along with our waistlines.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and its partners have tips on how we can make healthier options more available in our community. Big portion sizes have become the new abnormal, and it’s time to scale back.

Here are some resources to help you and your family scale back!

Cutting Calories

Once you start looking, you can find ways to cut calories for your meals, snacks, and even beverages. Here are some examples to get you started (click link below)
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/healthy_eating/cutting_calories.html

Avoiding Portion Pitfalls

When eating at many restaurants, it’s hard to miss that portion sizes have gotten larger in the last few years. The trend has also spilled over into the grocery store and vending machines, where a bagel has become a BAGEL and an “individual” bag of chips can easily feed more than one. Research shows that people unintentionally consume more calories when faced with larger portions. This can mean significant excess calorie intake, especially when eating high-calorie foods. Here are some tips to help you avoid some common portion-size pitfalls. (Click link below) http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/healthy_eating/portion_size.html

How to Use Fruits and Vegetables to Manage Your Weight

Fruits and vegetables are part of a well-balanced and healthy eating plan. There are many different ways to lose or maintain a healthy weight. Using more fruits and vegetables along with whole grains and lean meats, nuts, and beans is a safe and healthy one. Helping control your weight is not the only benefit of eating more fruits and vegetables. Diets rich in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of some types of cancer and other chronic diseases. Fruits and vegetables also provide essential vitamins and minerals, fiber, and other substances that are important for good health.

To lose weight, you must eat fewer calories than your body uses.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to eat less food. You can create lower-calorie versions of some of your favorite dishes by substituting low-calorie fruits and vegetables in place of higher-calorie ingredients. The water and fiber in fruits and vegetables will add volume to your dishes, so you can eat the same amount of food with fewer calories. Most fruits and vegetables are naturally low in fat and calories and are filling.

Here are some simple ways to cut calories and eat fruits and vegetables throughout your day. (click the link) http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/healthy_eating/fruits_vegetables.html

For specific tips on how you can make healthier choices and reduce your portion sizes, please click here to request a FREE  appointment with one of our nutritionists.