Ask a Dietitian

As seen on BCTV August 8/00

HEALTHY EATING ON YOUR HOLIDAY

Traveling for work or pleasure is a classic cause for disastrous eating.

You need to choose to start the trip off right, planning in advance so you don’t overeat on the way there or you may decide to write off the whole trip and eat anything or everything that is offered to you.

MODERATION — Don’t write off healthy eating for the entire trip!

Consistency: Most important thing to do is keep to your regular eating pattern. Continue to eat 3 meals and regular snacks to prevent hunger attacks and subsequent overeating.

Be Prepared: Empty the mini bar at your hotel and fill it with fruit, vegetables, yogurt, water, juice, nuts and energy bars.

80/20 Rule: When you eat out (which may be every meal), try to make healthy choices 80% of the time, while still letting yourself indulge 20% of the time.

ACTIVITY — Do a physical activity daily. This can include walking an 18 hole golf course, swimming laps at the hotel pool, checking out the local fitness facility or spa for a workout and steam, renting bikes to tour around instead of traveling by car or transit, playing a game of tennis, hiking a trail or checking out the town by foot. Most importantly, make it fun. This is your holiday!

ALCOHOL — Don’t drink excessively. Try alternating each alcoholic beverage with a glass of water. This will keep you hydrated and will also space out your alcoholic beverages so you don’t over-consume.

Make your drinks with only 1 ounce of alcohol instead of 2 and add extra fruit juice, tonic or soda water to make it last longer.

Alcohol has calories too so beware. One alcoholic beverage 7 days a week for 10 months can result in 6 lbs of weight gain. If you have 7 drinks a day for 10 days you will have the same increase in weight. Not to mention any extra calories you consume if you aren’t practicing moderation.

CRUISING — Buffet dining

CONSISTNCY: Eat regularly so you don’t overeat at meals and emphasize fruit and vegetables and de-emphasize the grains group.

VEGETABLES: You may want to start with a plate of mainly vegetable items such as salads and grilled vegetables to ensure you don’t fill up on the high calorie foods first.

PLEASURE MAXIMIZATION: Practice pleasure maximization, this means not choosing one of everything on the buffet table, but instead scanning the whole table and choosing 5-6 items you really like and know you’ll enjoy. Try having 1-2 half portions of your absolute favorite dessert, or if your favorite isn’t there choose fruit salad instead.

FAT: Limit or avoid the really high fat foods. This means the cream sauces and soups, cheeses, foods with oil glistening on the top or dripping from them. Muffins that leave the bag they came in see-through are not low fat.

FOOD SAFETY — If you’re traveling to an area where the water is questionable:

• Be particularly careful with children, elderly persons, and those with weak or compromised immune systems such as those with cancer as they are more susceptible to infection.
• Use bottled water for drinking and brushing your teeth.
• Eat only well cooked foods, not raw vegetables or salads
• Eat fruits and vegetables that can be peeled or boiled

• When eating out, choose respectable restaurants and don’t eat from street vendors who don?t have proper cooling or heating systems. Watch for the Eating for Energy segment every Tuesday on BCTV’s Noon News Hour!