10 Ways to Eat Healthy While on Vacation

A vacation is a time to unwind, to celebrate, to rejuvenate, to see new places and try new things. But it can also make you very uneasy about eating -- if, for example, you are trying to eat healthy and maintain or lose weight. Here are 10 ways to stay on a healthy eating plan while on vacation and still enjoy yourself!

1. Resist the Urge to Splurge

According to a study led by Linda H. Clemens EdD, RD, of the Consumer Science and Education Department at the University of Memphis, women tend to splurge when they eat out, then eat normal amounts during their other meals that day. This means they end up with an abundance of calories and fat that day -- much more than the body needs!

Clemens believes we should no longer think of eating out as a special treat and thus give ourselves carte blanche to overindulge.

"Most of us grew up thinking of eating out as an event that didn't happen too often," she explains. But today, many of us eat out on a daily basis.

What has happened to women nutritionally because of this trend? In a study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association in 1999, Clemens and other researchers found that the more often women ate out, the higher the total calories, grams of fat, and milligrams of sodium their diets contained.

There are probably three main factors that contribute to this overabundance of calories and fat coming from restaurant meals:

• We tend to splurge by choosing higher-fat and higher-calorie menu selections,
• Restaurants are serving us large portions,
• And we are eating it -- all of it.

According to a recent survey by the American Institute for Cancer Research, 67% of Americans say they finish their entrees always or most of the time. Sometimes, it isn't what you are eating as much as how much you eat that gets you into nutritional trouble.

Melanie Polk, RD, nutrition director at the American Institute for Cancer Research, recommends exercising portion control even in restaurants.

"Some Americans are now ordering half-sized portions, sharing entrees, taking home leftovers, and ordering appetizers as meals," she says.

2. Have It Your Way

When it comes to table-service restaurants, customers are asking to have it their way more and more, according to a recent National Restaurant Association report. Some 80% of restaurants with meals averaging $25 or higher per person, and 70% of restaurants with meals averaging under $25 per person, say customers are more interested in customized menu items now than even two years ago.

What, in particular, are customers asking for? They often want menu items prepared or dressed a different way than is listed on the menu. People also like to have a range of portion sizes to choose from, and many diners are asking to have part of their meal "doggy-bagged."