5 Tips for maintaining good eating habits on vacation

29 de June, 2023

When we’re on vacation, it’s easy to fall into temptation and abandon the good eating habits we try to maintain for the rest of the year. Being on vacation also means trying new things, including dishes that aren’t always the healthiest.

But it is possible to maintain a balanced diet even while on vacation. Discover some practical tips!

1 – Look at the ingredients and make thoughtful choices

If you go shopping and cook your meals, base your choices on richer, more balanced ingredients and try to avoid less nutritious foods (such as cookies, potato chips, salty snacks, ready-made meals, processed foods, high in salt, sugar or saturated fats).

When you have lunch or dinner in restaurants, try to make thoughtful choices and favor healthy options whenever possible. Of course, when we’re on vacation, it’s natural to want to try the typical cuisine of the place we’re in or taste dishes we don’t usually eat in our day-to-day lives. And these options are not always the most balanced.

Try to compensate for these choices by ordering salad or vegetables to go with, for example, soup or fruit for dessert. If this isn’t possible, adjust your diet for the rest of the day.

2 – Keep healthy snacks with you and be strict when it comes to snacking

First of all, take care to prepare your own healthy snacks to take on vacation. That way, you’ll be much more in control of what you eat and won’t be dependent on what’s available, for example, at service stations, on planes or in beach bars.

Examples of healthy snacks include vegetable sticks with hummus, nuts, fruit, protein bars, granola, among others.

Also, try to stick to snack times and not go too many hours without eating. Your vacation itinerary should include time for meals.

3 – Eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re full

It seems too obvious. But the truth is that sometimes we tend to go way beyond the amount of food we need to be truly satiated.

This can happen particularly when we’re on vacation, a time when we’re typically more carefree. So knowing how to stop eating when you’re no longer hungry will also help you keep your eating habits more balanced during the vacations.

4 – Don’t forget to drink water

Whether you’re traveling by car, train or plane, whether you’re going on vacation to the beach or to the city, always take a bottle of water with you.

Especially during the summer, high temperatures make it even more necessary to drink water regularly. Try to do this even if you’re not thirsty: you can use an app or an alarm to remind yourself throughout the day.

5 – Keep moving

If you’re on vacation in a city, explore the main sights on foot or by bike, for example. If you’re on the beach or in the countryside, you can also go for walks or runs.

Being physically active helps to compensate for any extra calories you may be eating during the vacations.

In short, vacations are a time for relaxation and we shouldn’t be so rigid as to deprive ourselves of something we really want to eat.

The key word to keep in mind is moderation. Balance, on vacation and throughout the rest of the year, is key to maintaining healthy eating habits.