Today, marks day four of our family vacation and it has been a quiet relaxing day. I always stressed about making healthy choices regarding food while on vacation. Even my trainer reminded me before I left to make healthy decisions.
I decided to accomplish “mission healthy eating on vacation” by cooking in the condo more than eating out. I joked to my husband while packing the car that I never felt more like a “mom” than I did packing the cooler full of food to bring on our trip. You see, lugging a cooler full of food for hours in a car was one of those things that I swore I would never do (we all have them, things our parents did that we said we would never do). Well….now I’m a little older and wiser and I know 4 things:
1) It is expensive to eat every meal out in a resort town.
2) A 14 month old only has the patience for waiting for food so long (even with snacks we bring).
3) Unless I want egg white omelets or baked fish with every meal, there are not a lot of healthy options.
4) Buying groceries in a resort town is almost as expensive as eating out, so bring on the cooler.
Now a vacation would not be a vacation with a few treats here or there, but I saved those splurges for specifically Fractured Prune Donuts and Dumser’s ice cream. My strategy for meal planning was as follows:
1) Create a meal plan, complete with ingredient list. If you are tracking your Macro Nutrients (Carbohydrates, Fats, Proteins), plug those in a tracker (I prefer my fitness pal).
2) Break down your list into two categories: ingredients that will transport well and those perishables that are best to buy at your destination.
3) Take inventory of what ingredients you have at home and shop for those that will transport well. Items that will transport well are meats, frozen vegatables, dry goods (pasta, rice, etc), sauces or marinades, spices, snacks, drinks.
4) Make a list and pair items with coupons to bring on your trip if possible. Items I purchased at our destination was fresh vegetables, milk, eggs, bread, yogurt, cheese, hummus.
5) Stay on plan, I built in a couple of flex meals where we could eat in or out, but for the most part we have stuck to the plan and our digestive systems have thanked us for it.
Overall, by cooking in the condo, I was able to meal plan for healthy options of some of my family’s favorite foods. Check out today’s “Healthy Eats of the Day: Venison Taco Salad”.
PS: Don’t forget to follow Lipstick and Kettlebells on Instagram @lipstickandkettlebells for other exclusive recipes including my favorite…Hawaiian Chicken