How to Eat healthy during Vacations?

Vacations are to enjoy, have fun, relax and rejuvenate our selves. We are invariably in our best possible state of mind, calm and relaxed and hence this is a time when we try to listen to ourselves and get connected with our inner self. Eating is connected with our emotions and hence understanding the signals given by our body say it be hunger signals or satiety signals can be best understood.

However many of us feel that it is difficult to maintain healthy food eating habits while on vacation but actually it isn’t. If we understand that food is just a part of all the fun and frolic that we are there to experience, we would automatically be consciously selective of what we eat.

Most of the times we tend to eat more just because we are not able to match our meal timings with the food availability due to which we become more hungry and binge, at other times it is the taste of the food (which we like due to high content of salt /sugar or the use of exotic ingredients) which makes us eat more than required by the body. Here are a few tips to avoid this.

1. Always carry few healthy options with you, it could be small packets of dryfruits or homemade nutri bars or a seasonal fruit.
2. Avoid the mini refrigerators in the hotels, they are loaded with stuffs rich in processed packaged food items instead order as per need.
3. Never skip your first meal of the day i.e breakfast:- Usually our routine completely changes during vacations but do not skip your breakfast. Load your self with fruits, whole grains, low cal breakfast options like Poha or idli Or Oatmeal before you leave for the day.
4. Monitor your portion sizes :- We always want to enjoy the local delicacies of the place we normally visit, also avoid looking on to eating as a part of recreation activities. Monitoring the amount of food we would consume helps a lot in exceeding our limits and at the same time gives us flexibility in terms of being a part of the tribe accompanying us and not missing out on any fun.
5. Avoid getting into gimmicks which provide you extra portion of some food item free or gives discounts on purchasing a particular amount. These not only tax your health but ruins all your efforts in maintain good health.
6. Choose one meal to treat your self and the rest go for healthy options.
7. Always load on with local fresh vegetables and fruits.
8. Always order for a little less than what you expect you would be consuming because portion sizes vary from dish to dish and place to place. Keep half of the portion aside and the remaining half take as an when required.
9. Try to walk as much as you can, explore the place, indulge in activities which would keep you physically engaged. Use stairs at your place of stay rather than escalators.
10. Last but not the least; keep your self very well hydrated. Always keep a water bottle in your handbag for each of the member being a part of the trip, whether child or an adult.

Moderation is the key to have a healthy vaccation.