How To Eat Healthy On Holiday

Many of us look forward to the incredible food when we go abroad, and rightly so. However, it’s easy for our healthy eating habits to go out the window. If you’re looking to avoid putting on unwanted weight this summer holiday season, then here are some tips to keep you on track and still have a good time!

  1. Eat before you leave. Most of us are so focussed on packing and remembering passports, we don’t give any thought to eating on the day of travel. This inevitably results in a bee line to the uber-processed industrial food outlets leading to sugar peaks and slumps. You can avoid this by simply planning time for a meal beforehand or to pack some portable food for the journey.
  2. Drink plenty of water, especially when flying. All that air-conditioning and the thin air in the sky really dehydrates your body. This prevents you from confusing thirst for hunger, if you’re holidaying at home, keeping a water bottle with you will save money too!
  3. Destress. Holidays are great for your health and keeping a focus on counteracting the stress of our day to day lives will help reset our bodies. Try not to do everything available on holiday. Sleep as much as you can, take naps to help your adrenal glands recover and encourage relaxation.
  4. Start your day well. When on holiday, eat a big healthy breakfast, such as fruit and natural yoghurt followed by eggs or smoked salmon on wholewheat toast. Don’t be lured into eating the whole buffet on day 1, pace yourself and try to stick to the one plate rule.
  5. Eat like the locals. Take advantage of local and seasonal food. If you’re staying by the sea, eat lots of fresh grilled fish. Oily fish – including sardines, fresh tuna, salmon and mackerel – is particularly good as it’s rich in Omega 3, which keeps your skin hydrated and encourages healthy digestion as well as weight loss.
  6. Prep your night out. If you do plan a boozy night out, eat plenty of protein first and try to alternate glasses of alcohol with water. A couple of glasses of red wine is the best option. Cava has been found to be good for blood sugar management, releasing its sugar slowly into the body. Cocktails are the worst due to all the sweet mixers – so stick to one and enjoy it rather than working through the menu on night one!
  7. Still eat the rainbow. Try to eat a variety of different coloured fruits and vegetables to get a wide range of antioxidants. To prevent the breaking down of collagen, eat lots of purple fruits; fresh blackberries, blueberries and black grapes. Keeping topped up on nutrients can also help prevent catching those annoying sniffles from the air conditioning that make returning from holiday miserable!
  8. Have snacks to hand; Instead of snacking on crisps in your hotel room, try nuts or fresh fruit instead. Whilst you may have to hunt harder to find them in store if abroad, your body will thank you.
  9. Stick to the “One Plate” rule. Whether you’re heading on an all-inclusive holiday or have chosen half board, always stick to the ‘one plate’ rule. With so many meal options available, it can be difficult to decide what to pick – and when to stop. Whilst it can be difficult to completely avoid buffets, by following this rule of thumb, you can be certain that you won’t pile up the pounds whilst abroad. By sticking to your usual eating habits, you can dodge the overeating trap like it’s nothing!
  10. Meal planning. It would be unrealistic to do this for every meal, but if you can outline when you’ll eat out for that special restaurant or have the late night out on the last night, it will help you keep check the rest of the holiday.
  11. Enjoy! We work hard for our holidays and it’s a time to wind down and relax. Don’t try to be perfect but keep some control during your holiday and you’ll get the balance between feeling you’ve let your hair down and not too miserable when you get back and inevitably step on the scales.

Get in touch with Nicola Clark at Breedon Priory Health Club on 01332 864028 for more information on how to keep your on track with healthy eating on holiday.