Eating While on Vacation: A Travelouge July 1, 2010

After eating everything in sight for several days in North Carolina, I have come to this conclusion:  People generally don’t care about healthy eating while they are on vacation.  And I can’t blame them.  Peter and I stayed in a beach house in Atlantic Beach, NC which had a fully functioning kitchen and a grill.  And aside from cereal and fruit for breakfast a couple of times, we ate out for every meal.  In my mind, sometimes new food is the best part of visiting a new place.  But just in case you really do want to focus on your calorie count, here are some things you can do to watch what you eat while on vacation:  (And really, to be honest, this is more of a travelogue.  My brain is still on the beach).

 1)     DO stay away from familiar chain restaurants.

1. Seriously, you’re on vacation in a new place.  Why are you eating at Applebee’s?  Let your taste buds go on vacation too; you can get a cheeseburger anywhere.  What’s local?  Ask a hotel employee where he likes to eat.  Google the area surrounding your hotel.  Once you find a place, if you’re still stuck after reading the menu, ask your server what’s his/her favorite, or look to see what the guy at the table next to you is eating.
2. The gentleman who loaned us his house left us with a list of local restaurants, so we had a pretty good guide.  We did not, however, have a recommendation for BBQ.  We asked our waiter one night at a seafood place called The Ruddy Duck who sent us to a restaurant two towns over.  Good idea in theory, but while most chain restaurants have set hours, some of the local guys can have hours that vary to suit their needs.  We didn’t know Roland’s would be closed on Wednesdays. 
3. We even ate at unfamiliar fast food chains.  There was a Waffle House at about 95% of the interstate exits and so of course we had to eat at one of those (because we were on vacation).  We also ate at a Bojangles which has “legendary” chicken and biscuits.  I’m not going to lie, it was pretty tasty.  And in looking at the nutrition information just now, I know why!  580 calories and 22 grams of fat in 1 chicken biscuit.  Adding sweet tea (more on this later) can easily net you 1000 calories.

2)     DO drink plenty of non-caffeinated, non-alcoholic beverages during the day: 

1. Focusing on hydration is incredibly important while on vacation because your daily routine is different.  No longer are you sitting at your desk with a glass of ice water to the right of your computer screen.  If you can, carry a water bottle with you.  If you or your loved one starts getting cranky after a morning of walking around in town, it’s time to drink something.  A change in mood can be a sign that under-hydration is starting to settle in. 
2. I usually don’t agree with non-athletes drinking sports drinks purely for hydration, but if you’re going to be sitting out in the sun, a sports drink might not be a bad option.  Gatorade now comes in sort of a diet form called G2-Low Calorie which is 20 calories per 8oz serving with the same electrolytes, which your body sheds when it sweats.  This will help to prevent under-hydration and muscle cramps.  Remember, water is always an excellent choice for hydration.  But if you’re going on vacation, and the beach or other outdoor activities are planned, maybe the G2-Low Calorie Gatorade would be a good choice for you. 
3. In addition to sampling local food menus, we sampled local microbrew.  We also spent much of the day outside in the sun.  With average temperatures in the 90s with 70% humidity, the air was a sticky mess.  After waking up a couple of times in the middle of the night just out of thirst, I determined that better hydration was a must.  We stopped by the local grocery store (a Piggly Wiggly.  It lacked a “no shirt, no shoes, no service” sign, but it displayed a sign depicting “no firearms”.) and bought some Gatorade.  This Piggly Wiggly had an enormous refrigerated section where one would expect to find dairy products and not-from-concentrated juices and lemonade.  But the vast majority of the space was taken up by sweet tea.  I had a glass of sweet tea, (because I was on vacation) and I’m fairly certain this is a top contributor to obesity.  I started to notice in restaurants that this was always offered first as a beverage, “Would you like sweet tea?  We also carry Coke products and have a full bar”.  I also noticed that people think there’s something wrong with you when you ask if the tea in question was made with sugar or artificial sweetener. 

3)     DO split meals in restaurants instead of ordering separate entrees.

1. Even though many restaurants will charge you a few dollars to split the plate, this is both inexpensive and calorie conscious.  Sandwiches are easily cut in half, and that mound of fries can be shared for a more manageable meal.  If you feel as though you might still be hungry, start with a salad or order an a la cart vegetable to sneak in some vacation produce. 
2. We failed miserably in terms of portion control.  Honestly, we didn’t even try.  In fact, as we read the menu we made sure to order different things so that we could sample each other’s plates…..that is except for seafood bisque day.  I now know why people like to use real butter and heavy cream while cooking; it was so velvety and gorgeous, Peter is still talking about it.  This was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten.  Period.  We tried to go back to that restaurant, Clawson’s 1905, but there was too much traffic surrounding the drawbridge into town.  I now regret this decision.  That is how good the seafood bisque was.

4)      Do keep some raw fruits and vegetables handy for snacks. 

1. Just like your mom told you as a kid, raw fruits and vegetables make excellent snacks.  They come in their own packaging and need minimal prep to eat.  Many of these items would be safe to keep out on a table in a hotel room, but most hotel rooms have mini-fridges in them anyway so you’re covered.  If not, fill that ice bucket and throw those carrots on ice.  It’s important to at least attempt to get your daily 5 servings of fruits and vegetables (and adequate water) while on vacation in order to ward off Vacation Constipation. 
2. We bought apples and carrots on our trip to the Piggly Wiggly.  We also bought tortilla chips, salsa, potato chips and cereal bars.  We were tempted to buy boiled peanuts, (something seen at most road-side stands, but also available canned at the PW) and ALE8-1, a sort of pop (soda) manufactured in Kentucky.  We failed to purchase either item as there were no small quantities available and we didn’t want to be stuck with products we didn’t like. 

      5)    DO tell people you’re on your honeymoon.

1. You receive a lot of dessert this way J.

 So I’m home and unpacked.  And as a result of our food-laden beach holiday, I’ve regained all the weight lost with the pre-wedding flu.  It was worth every bite, but back to the treadmill.