Friday's Food

Sticking with our theme of staying fit on vacation, finding healthy food while traveling and while on vacation can be difficult. Here are a few tips:

1.) At the airport (or train or bus terminal), finding healthy food can be difficult. A good option is pack your own snacks such as fruit (grapes or apples are good), crackers, cheese wedges, vegetables & hummus or sandwiches. If packing your own snacks sounds like too much work for you, a good idea is to look for fast food places that have healthy options. For example, Starbucks usually has bananas and nuts available and offers nutritional information for its products. Smoothie joints can also be a good option, but again watch how many calories you are consuming. If you are buying a sandwich or a wrap, look for something that contains mustard instead of mayo and includes a lot of vegetables.

2.) Vacation can be a good time to splurge but in order to not completely derail your diet, try to limit the splurging. For example, breakfast is a great time to eat a healthy meal. Think oatmeal, cereal with skim or low-fat milk, fresh fruit and yogurt.

3.) Its possible to sample a lot of great food without going overboard. Try to leave a little bit on the plate to save some calories.

4.) Try to sample some of the great local food- try to incorporate local fruit or vegetables. A good idea is to visit a local farmer's market where you are staying.

5.) Don't obsess. Vacation should be fun and that includes the food. Remember your vacation is short lived and you have plenty of time to think about your diet when you get back!