Hello mommy! I hope you are doing great and getting ready for the winter one fall day at a time.
Last week my daughter and I came back from a trip in Israel. My middle sister has finally actualized her dream of getting married on the holly land, which was awesome! It was so weird to spend two weeks with my mom, dad, grandmother and two sisters, like in my pre-marriage days…
Travelling is always great, and especially travelling to the holly land! If you have been to Israel, then you know that everything tastes better there. My mom, who is lactose intolerant, was feasting on dairy. My dad, who is a declared meat lover ate red meat every single day. My 14 year old sister ate junk food daily.
The result? I’m not ashamed to share that after a week my mom started complaining about acne and constipation (a result of too much dairy), and my dad and sister had very little energy and were extremely irritable (a result of too much animal protein, specifically red meat).
What did my daughter and I eat, you ask?
To save money, we ate most of our meals at home. Every other day I bought leafy greens and incorporated them in every meal (just wash and eat). In general, I tried not to overdo with one particular food group. Supplements were very helpful, so I brought our probiotics and enzymes which helped to keep our digestive systems moving, and not stagnant. Everything we did worked amazing!
I was surprised to see that my daughter followed my lead – she wasn’t crazy over dairy or meat. She never asked me to buy her the sweet stuff, but instead she ate a lot of fruit and vegetables.
C’mon, aren’t you supposed to break the rules when vacationing?
Don’t get me wrong! I don’t think it is right to be so stiff and anal about every single thing you put in your (or child’s) mouth, BUT I do think we should be aware of how, too much of the wrong food can create an unnecessary illness, which, I’m sure, is the last thing you want during a trip.
Here are some general guidelines for eating healthy while traveling
Breakfast
Healthy Breakfast options:
- Fruit platter – Almost all continental breakfast bars offer fruit. You can eat as much fruit as you want;
fruit is full of nutrients and fibre. - Oatmeal – Oatmeal will sustain you with complex carbohydrates and fiber. Make it with water; add nuts, berries, or honey.
- Hard boiled eggs – If they’re offered, hard boiled eggs are a great source of protein. Don’t skip the yolk as most of the egg’s nutrients are in the yolk!
- Herbal Tea – is a much better option than coffee, as it ignites the production of stomach juices and supports digestion.
Avoid the following breakfast options:
- Sweet pastries – Danishes and bear claws may taste good, but they’re far from good for you. They’re often high in fat
and calories, which can leave you with a sugar crash, feeling hungry again soon afterwards. - Croissants – While they may be enticing with their flakey crusts and buttery taste, croissants are loaded with sugar
and fat. - Juices – Unless they’re 100% fruit juice, orange drink, and other fruit flavoured juices, usually contain high amounts of
sugar. Don’t be fooled! - Coffee – caffeine stimulates the flow of stress hormones, which can produce increased levels of anxiety, irritability, muscular tension and pain, indigestion, insomnia and decreased immunity.
Eating breakfast in a restaurant?
Order the following healthy options:
- Omelettes – they are high in protein, which will give you long lasting energy for the day. Fill them with tons of vegetables! Hold back on the cheese and if you want to add meat, try turkey.
- Side dishes – Breakfast platters usually come with home fries and toast. Skip the home fries and ask for some fruit on the side. Choose wheat toast instead of white bread toast.
- Breakfast sandwiches – Stick with wheat toast , eggs, and a little cheese. Skip the unhealthy breakfast meats, such as sausage.
Avoid the following:
- Pancakes, waffles, or french toast – Filled with refined sugar and fat, these food items provide little nutritional value. The
sugar will be in and out of your bloodstream before you can blink, leaving you sleepy and quickly hungry again. You want to save your energy for trips and sight seeing instead! - Bacon, sausage, or any other fried meat.
Lunch
- Stay away from anything that includes the words: stuffed, double, triple, slammed, dunked, crispy, or glazed.
- If it comes in an edible bowl, don’t order it.
- Salad dressing can make a salad unhealthy. Get it on the side and choose non-cream based, lite, or fat-free salad dressings. Or just go with olive oil and vinegar.
- Sometimes, a soup and salad may be enough to fill you.
- If possible, lighten your lunch and make your dinner a bit heavier. Too much food can affect your energy levels, which you need while traveling.
- Skip the appetizer and just order an entrée.
- Instead of an entrée, have a salad and an appetizer.
- For a side dish, skip the french fries and get a side salad or other vegetable.
- Sharing is more than caring: If you’re lunching with other people, share food; you’ll be less likely to over eat.
- Choose baked or grilled entrees over fried.
- Start by eating half of your meal and take a break; you may not need the whole meal to be full.
Dinner
- Salad – Pick salads with a variety of vegetables, dark-leafy greens, and/or fresh fruits. Include lean protein, such as grilled chicken, salmon or beans in your salad. Lean protein will help you feel full for longer. Order salad dressing on the side and choose vinaigrettes or olive oil and vinegar. Avoid cream or mayo based dressings (i.e. Ranch, Blue Cheese, Thousand Island,
French). - Soup – Choose soups made with broth or stock, versus those made with cheese, cream, or milk (i.e. New England Clam Chowder, Broccoli Cheese, Bisques). As with salads, choose soups with plenty of vegetables.
- Other items – Choose items with vegetables, lean meats, or fish.
- Avoid items that are fried, contain a lot of cheese, and dips with chips, pita or bread.
A few words about portion sizes
Gauging appropriate portion sizes can be difficult while travelling, especially with oversized meals. Use these tips to help you keep your portions on the right track!
- One serving of fruit, such as a medium apple or orange, is about the size of a baseball ball.
- The appropriate serving size for a potato is about the size of a computer mouse.
- For meat, such as chicken or beef, a deck of cards is the size of a 3 ounce portion.
- One serving of hard cheese is one ounce, or the equivalent of four dice.
- One serving of fats, such as mayonnaise and salad dressing, is two tablespoons, or 2 dice.
- Even though you get the whole can, one serving size of soda is only 6 ounces, or half the can.
While I love to travel and discover authentic restaurants around the world, I also like to go back home feeling vibrant, energized, rested and preferably wearing the same jeans 🙂
Hope you find this useful!
Enjoy your trip 🙂
Dorit