Vacations are an excellent way of rejuvenating and recovering our energy after too many months at the office. However, unfortunately, many of us neglect to eat healthy and stay nutritious while on vacation due to the wide availability of food and dramatic change in our daily routines. Fortunately, with a bit of mindfulness and environmental modification, you can keep from packing on the pounds that you worked so hard to get off for your trip. Here are some tips and insight into ways to eat and stay healthy and nutritious the next time you head for the beach or on that summer cruise.

First of all, if you will be flying to your destination, be sure to eat a healthy meal in advance of your arrival at the airport. People tend to eat more when under stress, and if you arrive at an airport with an empty stomach, you are likely not going to have healthy eating on your mind, which means you will spend more money on unhealthy food. While the airports are taking strides to provide travelers with healthy choices, the majority of the food you will find is loaded with trans fats and high in calories. It is smart to bring along some healthy snacks to munch on during long flights and layovers. These will curb your appetite while also supplying your body with some nutrients and energy.

It is often difficult to find a health friendly hotel and area. Most hotels these days recognize that their clients will often be interested in staying healthy, and as such, will often have special meals available to cater to such clientele. When you order room service, be sure to ask for specific items on your order, such as low fat or low salt meals, as there are a number of hotels that will make an effort to accommodate your requests. They want you to come back and tell your friends about the service you received, after all. Sometimes, we arrive and find ourselves in a frenzy due to the lack of amenities to meet our needs. To prevent this from happening, researching reviews from other travelers is a very helpful tool. On my last trip to Florida, I found myself wondering how I would ever be able to maintain my healthy lifestyle. Fortunately, I did my due diligence and found a great site that called Gogobot that allowed me to plan out my trip from start to finish ensuring I could remain healthy along the way. The site offered travel reviews ranging from the hotels in Miami, to the restaurants, even on things to do. Tools like this are lifesavers when it comes to your nutrition on vacation.

When you arrive at your hotel, look for the foods you know to be healthy: whole grains, vegetables, and fruit should be your primary sources of nutrition. This doesn’t mean that you can’t indulge in sweets and fats every now and then, but they should not become the focus of your meals simply because you are on vacation.

Look for healthy restaurants if you are in an area where you will be able to travel out and about on your own. Try not to go to fast food venues or all you can eat locations, as neither will encourage you to develop healthy eating habits. If you can look at the menu of a restaurant before you leave the hotel, you are more likely to make a good choice and not end up at a place with lots of grease and trans fats. When you get to the restaurant, try to add as many vegetables as you can, and try to stay away from the meat products. If you choose to eat meat, look for fish, then chicken, and then red meat last of all. Most all restaurants will cater to your wishes if you would love something special ordered. Make sure to scour the menu for a healthy option and find one that is not sacrificing in flavor as well.

In conclusion, it can be challenging to keep up our healthy lifestyles when we take a break from regular life by going on vacation. Fortunately, it is more than possible to continue to eat healthy and choose nutritious meals even when you are thousands of miles away from home.

Guest Blogger : Cole Millen