William Shakespeare had highlighted it one day: “If you spend the entire year on vacation, having fun would be as exhausting as going to work” … The reason for which our holidays are mostly temporary and often rely on the fact of traveling … Besides discovering the geography and culture of our final destination, eating well and enjoying food in all its forms is one of the most important experiences we always look for! Hence, the question that pops up: when you take a trip, does your diet go on vacation too ?

Breakfast at the hotel: choose whole grains cereals with a glass of skimmed milk or whole grain bread with eggs.

Le Croissant, why not ? Named for its crescent shape it is considered a staple of french bakeries but nowadays it took a different dimension not only by altering its size wise but also modifying the list of Does and Don’t in the dictionary of food!

It is one of those food items that are known to be rich in fat, saturated fats and trans fats! Not only does it increase your waistline but also increases the chances of developing cardiovascular diseases!

It is high in carbohydrates, cholesterol and low in proteins which makes it one of the morning breakfast options with lowest degree of satiety which means~ an hour and a few minutes after eating a croissant you would feel hungry and have enough appetite to eat anything else!

A medium sized croissant has around 300 calories and can add up to 500 or 600 calories, depending on the filling!

A glass of milk in the morning helps increase satiety and thus decreases the caloric intake by 9% at the next meal.

any studies have shown that breakfast cereal eaters are slimmer, have a lower BMI and a healthier weight than non-cereal eaters. And contradict the assumption that cereals are high in sugar and contribute to obesity.

Take two portions of fruits from the hotel’s buffet and enjoy them two hours later as a first snack.

The word snack comes from the English name “Snacken” which means to have a bite.Including two snacks in your daily diet plan is more than crucial since first of all, eating small frequent meals will keep your metabolism revved up to peak capacity.Secondly, it helps you consume less at meal times by appeasing your hunger and thirdly, it energized you while you’re touring and walking discovering the city!

The word “salad” originated from salt, and began with the early Romans salting their leafy greens and vegetables. One of the simplest and healthiest health habits that anyone can commit to, is to begin each meal (lunch and dinner) with a salad. It provides enough fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fills up the stomach, leaving a little space for the main course. The ideal portioning of the plate should always be: 50% salad, 25% Carbohydrates (either pasta or bread or potato or rice) and 25% Proteins (focus on fish, check on poultry often and forget about red meat).

It is also very important to include an afternoon snack: one could try the visited city’s specialty deserts in moderate amounts or snack on 23 pieces of almonds or 14 pieces of walnuts or 30g of dark chocolate …

Eat slowly

e sociable while eating and enable new conversations each time you find yourself on the dining table. Take thirty minutes to finish each meal, since eating slowly can reduce your intake by 70 calories per meal, which translates into a saving of more than 200 calories per day!

Apply the hara hachi bu

The Hara Hachi Bu is a Japanese eating habit derived from the island Okinawa which holds the highest rate of longevity in the world. The habit consists of always eating 80% of your dish or eating till you’re 80% full. By applying this habit one will be definitely saving calories, feeling more energetic after a meal and decreasing the chances of developing cardiovascular diseases and others.

Walk the city

One of the greatest pleasures of traveling is discovering the city while walking and walking is a great way to stay active during the whole trip and burn some calories!

Have a light dinner

You define the word « light » here and have it at least 3 hours before going to bed !

Avoid drinking juices when you’re simply thirsty for water!

Avoid Food poisoning:

1-Always choose restaurants with positive reputations and that are always busy

2-Always inspect the appearance of the restaurant or snack before buying or eating (you have all the rights to even check the cleanliness of the kitchen)

3-Avoid buying foods from street vendors

4-Opt for hot and cooked dishes rather than raw foods that are more likely to contain bacteria

5-Be careful while eating seafood and raw dairy products

6-Always drink water from bottles and avoid ice cubes in places where it is not advisable to drink tap water.

7-Focus on small portions rather than big ones specially if you’re trying several dishes

8-Always remember to wash your hands properly before eating in order to decrease the amount of bacteria!

Have a safe flight and squeeze the most out of your trip!

Dietitian Nicole Maftoum