When it's time for vacation, getting caught up in the hustle and bustle of planning, sightseeing, and the many different adventures to come is easy. However, it's important to remember that vacation isn't an excuse to be unhealthy, although it may feel like it's your free pass. Below are a few tips for staying healthy and eating right while you're on vacation.
Bring Snacks & Cook Your Own Meals
An essential part of keeping to a healthy vacation diet is providing for yourself. The chefs at the restaurants don't know (or care, really) that you're trying to stay healthy; they're simply making what they believe is the best-tasting food. If you're traveling to one of the best cruise destinations, odds are your meals are already paid for, and the cruise line provides them. If you've already paid for your meals and have options to pick from, choose healthier options and track your sugar and calorie intake.
Some good snacks for you to look for when packing or shopping are nuts, nut butter, cheese sticks, pretzels, and veggies with hummus. Options for healthy, easy meals to make on vacation include various salads and whole-grain pasta. When planning your own meals and snacks, try to incorporate fruits and veggies, proteins, and whole grains to keep yourself healthy, and be sure to avoid overly processed and sugary snacks or drinks.
Make Water a Priority
Water is essential for living; it's a fact. Regardless of your other options, water is your best friend and best option for hydration. Most drinks you'll have access to will likely be loaded with sugar and preservatives, which are far from supportive of a healthy lifestyle. You will often be offered alcohol as well. Drinking is a vital part of a vacation, so don't feel like you have to shy away completely. Do your best to monitor your liquor intake and stick to the less sugary drinks.
Skip the Mini-bar
Most hotels offer a selection of snacks and beverages, but they're not conducive to a healthy diet whatsoever. Most of your options in a mini-bar will include small bottles of alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, candy, cookies, and crackers. These offerings are usually chock-full of salt, sugar, and preservatives. Avoid these offers altogether to keep your diet on track — save yourself some dollars, too, because that mini-bar can be pricey!
Eat Breakfast
Take advantage of your hotel's continental breakfast. Hotel breakfast bars may not have the healthiest options available, but you should be able to find something. Typically they will offer fruits like apples, bananas, or pears; oatmeal, an excellent source of protein, fiber, and healthy carbs; and lean proteins such as eggs. Eating breakfast in the morning will provide you with the energy necessary to get through your vacation and power through to the next meal.
Walk Everywhere
Staying healthy on vacation consists of more than just monitoring your diet. It's crucial to keep yourself active and your muscles engaged. It is a vacation, so don't push yourself too hard, but consider walking everywhere you choose to go, so long as it is within walking distance. This will give you some access to fresh air, sunshine, and nature. Walking is not only excellent for your physical health, but it will help your mood, which is incredibly vital when on vacation.
Splurge Responsibly
You're still on vacation, baby! Don't let these rules and guidelines keep you from having a good time. If you're used to sticking to a strict diet at home, feel free to load up with a fat, greasy slice of pizza and follow it up with some ice cream; that's perfectly acceptable. A good rule of thumb for splurging on vacation is to indulge once a day. Give yourself a little treat for your holiday — it's supposed to be fun, but maintain some self-control. Monitor your portions to keep track of your salt, sugar, and caloric intake to ensure you're not overdoing anything. And most importantly, be prepared to revert to your desired healthy diet.
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