Eating Healthy on The Road

Guest blogger: Karissa Martin

Summer’s coming to a close, so it’s time to go on that vacation you promised yourself you would take. It’s time to get bronzed and fit on your trip and come back ready to face the fall. There’s only one problem: healthy eating isn’t always on the menu on vacation―it seems like the perfect time to take a break from your usual healthy eating habits. To prevent yourself from gaining those extra pounds while having fun in the sun, try some of the following tips to return home feeling refreshed and thin!



Be aware of what you are eating! This is very important because sometimes foods have a lot more calories than you think. Go for vegetables and fish and skip fried or greasy foods. If you want to count your calories, there are a lot of websites that have the calories of various restaurants and their foods. Websites such as CalorieKing, DietFacts, and Calorie Count can be useful, and there are applications for smartphones to help you keep track of your calories. Some restaurants even have the nutritional values of their foods available on their menus.



Don’t be afraid to share your food. Share a meal with a friend or family member, or share an appetizer and get a side salad. Some meals are available in half or lunch-sized portions. If you want to get your own meal, you don’t have to finish it. If you have a refrigerator in your hotel room or wherever you’re staying, take the leftovers and eat them the next day. If you are drooling over the desserts, it’s okay to splurge a little, but eat a light meal. Go for a side salad, soup, or an appetizer instead of a heavy, large entrée. You can always share the dessert with your fellow vacationers or get a children’s sized or smaller dessert if they’re available.



Check out the local grocery store and get a picnic lunch to enjoy a low calorie meal on vacation without going out to eat. Whether you’re on the beach, on a boat, or in a park, a picnic lunch is the perfect way to share a healthy meal with your family and friends without breaking the bank―or packing on the pounds.


For healthy recipes get your copy of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking and/or The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition