Your Diet Shouldn’t Take A Vacation

If you are staying in a hotel, try to eat in your room once each day, but don’t order room service. Bring some breakfast foods that travel well, such as instant oatmeal, whole grain cereal or cereal bars and some dried fruits. Find a local grocery store and bring some fresh fruits, whole grain crackers and small portions of low-fat cheeses to your room for a mid-morning or late afternoon snack. 

Watch your portions when ordering food in restaurants. Order vegetables and fruits with every meal. A side salad with a low-fat salad dressing or no salad dressing is a great way to start your meal. Drink plenty of water throughout the day, and especially right before eating a meal. Water helps you feel fuller so you avoid over-eating and it helps facilitate digestion. Watch out for the condiments, however. Salad dressing, ketchup and barbecue sauces can be very high in calories, fats, sugar and sodium. When given a choice between ordering from the menu or hitting the all-you-can-eat buffet, order from the menu. It’s easy to over-eat when there are so many tasty dishes to choose from. If you do select the buffet, start with salad with low-fat dressing and water. Select steamed or grilled vegetables and avoid the cream sauces and the butter. Choose lean meats or seafood, if available.