vacation food

[swamp]

Do you go hog wild on vacation and eat whatever you want, or do you stick to your normal diet?

[milee]

Pretty much whatever we want. Not exactly hog wild, but wild compared to normal.

Pop tarts are a good example. We don't ever buy pop tarts at home, but if we're on vacation, I'll usually get a box.  Sometimes even two. (Whoa, now that's wild!) 

We also like to experiment and eat whatever is good locally, so even if it's not a meal time, if we see something interesting we'll stop and snack on stuff if it's local or unusual.  Fourthmeal, vacation style.

[8 Bit WWBG]

Pretty much, yes.  How wild depends on the vacation/location.  A lot more restaurant eating and whatnot.

[Cookies Galore]

Not completely wild, but not completely normal. I don't want to feel sick and bloated, and I do try to keep with the healthy living thing, but I want to live, man! And with all the vacation booze I drink, I need to stick with a relatively healthy diet!

When we were in Aruba we had a kitchen so we stocked up on breakfast and lunch foods at a grocery store and ate our dinners out every night. I love lox but only get it when we go out for breakfast on the occasional weekend, mainly because I just don't buy it at the grocery store for home. I bought some and made tomato, cucumber, sprout, gouda, and lox sandwiches for lunch. It was a treat for me. So were the Smarties I stocked up on. When will America get them?!

I still think about this awesome curried clam dish I had in Cooperstown two years ago. Hell yeah food!

[Deleted]

I try to stick to the same kinds of foods that I eat when at home. Overeating or eating foods I'm not accustomed to makes me feel kind of sick and bloated, which puts a bummer on my vacation.

[mmhmm]

I eat whatever I want every day, vacation or not.

[Deleted]

Something in between. Sometimes DH and I will just pick up sandwiches or salad and some wine at a grocery store and enjoy it in the hotel room, but we do enjoy stuff we rarely consume at home- pastry in Paris, pizza in Dubrovnik, hamburgers in the middle of the night in Zagreb, and gelato everywhere. We're a lot more active, of course, and I still manage to get in a run or other workout every day. Then there was the steak tartare DH had in Paris with its unfortunate digestive consequences. Fortunately they were short-lived.

In general, though, eating is what we do for fuel to keep going, not an event in itself.

[swamp]

I planned on working out every day. So far, that hasn't happened.  But we have been walking a lot. I can workout when I get home. 

The first couple days were museum trips for the kids, so it was just normal stuff and no snacks beciase nothing extraordinary to choose from. The past 2 days have been enjoying some pretty good dinners. Breakfast and lunch are normal. Except where I had ice cream for lunch today. 

Last night i had had a really good 3 crab chowder with asparagus. Tonight was raspberry martinis with carriibean snapper. 

[midjd]

Apr 18, 2014 21:31:45 GMT -5 mmhmm said:

I eat whatever I want every day, vacation or not.

Yeah that!

[steph08]

Depends on the vacation. If I am just laying around the beach, doing ordinary, sedentary stuff, then I try to keep it normal. If we are in Europe or Disney or somewhere where we are on the move everyday and covering a lot of miles, I eat whatever I need to maintain stamina and splurge on whatever I want. 

Our last disney vacation, I came home down 6 pounds. 

[Shooby]

No. If I eat too much foods I am not used too it winds up making me sick. So usually eat pretty much the same except allowing myself a good meal .

[marvholly]

Generally I am a combination person. I try to stay in a place that either includes breakfast and/or has at leat a small fridge and maybe a microwave. I eat a simple breakfast. I make SIURE to eat a reasonable amount of fruit, veg & salad. I will eat a FULL meal out 1x/day - generally lunch because it tends to be cheaper. Then I stop at a grocery for salad bar or something from the prepared foods/deli for dinner.

[Otto the Orange]

I try to enjoy food while on vacation--I just try to eat Atkins-ish......I'll eat a lot of fatty meats and stuff but not as many carbs (I'll still eat carbs --not super low carbs or anything, but I consciously won't eat breads and things like that)

Also usually eat light-ish lunches (chicken salads and stuff)

no calories from drinks while on vacay- no sodas, juices, beer, etc. --mostly water and hard alcohol

[Deleted]

Apr 18, 2014 22:03:43 GMT -5 swamp said:

Last night i had had a really good 3 crab chowder with asparagus. Tonight was raspberry martinis with carriibean snapper. 

Some of those things aren't really much worse than regular food back home; they're just different (and someone else makes them).  One favorite snack when we were in Athens was tzatziki- yogurt, garlic and cucumber and olive oil- with pita bread.  Not really "hog-wild", but delicious.

OTOH, some of the people on the myfitnesspal site have confessed to awful binges at buffets, especially in Vegas.  (Baked potatoes with butter AND sour cream AND cheese? Definitely overkill.) DH and I don't do buffets because they're priced for an average customer who eats far more than we do.

[swamp]

Apr 19, 2014 7:19:05 GMT -5 @athena53 said:

Apr 18, 2014 22:03:43 GMT -5 swamp said:

Last night i had had a really good 3 crab chowder with asparagus. Tonight was raspberry martinis with carriibean snapper. 

Some of those things aren't really much worse than regular food back home; they're just differoent (and someone else makes them).  One favorite snack when we were in Athens was tzatziki- yogurt, garlic and cucumber and olive oil- with pita bread.  Not really "hog-wild", but delicious.

OTOH, some of the people on the myfitnesspal site have confessed to awful binges at buffets, especially in Vegas.  (Baked potatoes with butter AND sour cream AND cheese? Definitely overkill.) DH and I don't do buffets because they're priced for an average customer who eats far more than we do.

If you add bacon and chives to that potato, it sounds delicious. But that would be dinner. Maybe I'd add a salad.

[swamp]

We were at a flea market/farmers market yesterday and the had mini donuts with different toppings. The strawberry cheesecake ones looked divine. Unfortunately you had to buy six. I wasn't hungery, neither was DH, so we didn't try them.

Oh to be 20 again and eat what I want.

[8 Bit WWBG]

...:::"But we have been walking a lot.":::...

Everyone says this when they go on vacation.  I'm not doubting that you are walking a lot.  I just find that when people say this, they usually say it knowing that the walking probably isn't compensating for the eating.  Again, this may not fit you here -- its more of a general sentiment that I've noticed whenever I hear the phrase.

...:::"Some of those things aren't really much worse than regular food back home; they're just different (and someone else makes them).":::...

This is also a good point.  And depending on where you are, things aren't made with preservative-laden synthetics.  You mentioned Dubrovnik and Zagreb.  I spent a good amount of time in those places one summer.  Very different cuisine.

[Deleted]

Apr 19, 2014 7:19:05 GMT -5 @athena53 said:

Apr 18, 2014 22:03:43 GMT -5 swamp said:

Last night i had had a really good 3 crab chowder with asparagus. Tonight was raspberry martinis with carriibean snapper. 

Some of those things aren't really much worse than regular food back home; they're just different (and someone else makes them).  One favorite snack when we were in Athens was tzatziki- yogurt, garlic and cucumber and olive oil- with pita bread.  Not really "hog-wild", but delicious.

OTOH, some of the people on the myfitnesspal site have confessed to awful binges at buffets, especially in Vegas.  (Baked potatoes with butter AND sour cream AND cheese? Definitely overkill.) DH and I don't do buffets because they're priced for an average customer who eats far more than we do.

you seem to be very critical of anyone who eats anything that you wouldn't touch or who doesn't adhere to healthy eating 100% of the time.  like people who post fattening recipes on facebook - you don't have to make it or eat it so I'm not sure why you care what other people do.  and just because people eat healthy the majority of the time doesn't mean that when they go to a party or an event they just want baked chicken with green beans and brown rice.  I host a holiday party every year and part of the fun is getting to make the fattening appetizers and desserts that I don't get to make the rest of the year.

[giramomma]

It depends on the vacation-whether we have the kids or not..
If we don't have the kids, then we tend to eat differently than at home. We tend to gravitate towards fancier restaurants if it's possible. One vacation we went to the boundary waters, and it wasn't possible to eat like at home.

We tend to eat more like at home with the kids.

[swamp]

Apr 19, 2014 7:43:02 GMT -5 8 Bit WWBG said:

...:::"But we have been walking a lot.":::...

Everyone says this when they go on vacation.  I'm not doubting that you are walking a lot.  I just find that when people say this, they usually say it knowing that the walking probably isn't compensating for the eating.  Again, this may not fit you here -- its more of a general sentiment that I've noticed whenever I hear the phrase.

...:::"Some of those things aren't really much worse than regular food back home; they're just different (and someone else makes them).":::...

This is also a good point.  And depending on where you are, things aren't made with preservative-laden synthetics.  You mentioned Dubrovnik and Zagreb.  I spent a good amount of time in those places one summer.  Very different cuisine.

I have a fit bit. I know exactly how far I've been walking.

[8 Bit WWBG]

...:::"I have a fit bit. I know exactly how far I've been walking.":::...

Yes, like I said, I'm not disputing you walking.  I was making a general comment about the phrase.

Obviously on sightseeing vacations, most people walk more than normal.  Since most people's "normal" is 40h/week in an office chair, you really CAN'T not walk more when out and about.

Though you bring up an interesting side-point.  As the FitBit and similar devices become more common place (and they will, given that they are baked into the iPhone 6 and Galaxy S5), people will have much more real time quantifiable data.  Add in the ability to cross-check food and people might be in a better position to monitor themselves.

Though I still say my heart rate monitor is a silver tongued brown noser.  200 calories for walking a mile...

[Shooby]

"This happens to me and my kids. I always have to bring food when we go on vacation, or grocery shop once we get there. I can handle eating out every night for dinner, but that's it."

Yes, we usually go out for one good meal. I prefer to go out for a big lunch or a very early dinner. Eating late doesn't sit well with me. But, yes, I will indulge in cheesecake or fudge or other goodies as well.

[Deleted]

Apr 19, 2014 7:47:59 GMT -5 @singlemominmd said:

you seem to be very critical of anyone who eats anything that you wouldn't touch or who doesn't adhere to healthy eating 100% of the time.  like people who post fattening recipes on facebook - you don't have to make it or eat it so I'm not sure why you care what other people do. 

I was just using overeating at buffets as an example of "hog-wild" vacation eating as opposed to trying interesting new dishes at restaurants and splurging a little. I don't eat healthy 100% of the time, either unless you consider the pizza, gelato and French pastry I mentioned as "healthy". (I don't.)

[yogiii]

I do things like have an ice cream cone and call it lunch. 

Even if I'm on vacation I stay away from heavy/fried food.  They just drag me down.  For some reason ice cream is one of the few "junk" foods I can handle without feeling all yuck the rest of the day.

[Apple]

We don't go hog wild, but we eat a lot differently on vacation.  Our little town only has a couple restaurants, so we usually try new ones.  Big vacations are in Europe, so we like to try all the different things when we are over there.  DS discovered tea in England and has been a tea drinker ever since.  We've also had foods in Ireland and England that I'll come home and try to replicate (steak and ale pie, beef in Guinness...)

If it's mid-day and we walk by a place that looks good, we'll stop in and have lunch.  If we walk by a street vendor selling roasted nuts or some other food, we'll dig out some change and try some.  Food is part of the experience.  Love it when we can hit up a street market and get a loaf of bread or other goodies.  We'll seek out a nice deli and buy the good cheese. 

One thing I loved about our last trip to London was this little market about two blocks from our room.  They always had good fruit on clearance (grapes, strawberries, oranges, etc), they had a huge tea selection (brought home quite a bit of tea, cheap), and they would have different deli foods on sale as well--we tried several greek dishes we'd never had before.

We do try to load up on fruit and vegetables when we can to keep it a little balance.  I'll buy milk and juice at the store if we have a fridge.  We'll get rolls and make ourselves sandwiches. 

Our vacations are definitely "walking vacations"--we're up early and on the move, don't get back until late.  If we aren't sore and dead tired at the end of the day, we had an easy day.  I think I gained two pounds when we did a four-country trip, but we were with a tour group and had a lot of time on the coach.  But I also ate anything I wanted.  On other trips I've lost weight.

[Cookies Galore]

Apr 19, 2014 3:42:27 GMT -5 steph08 said:

Depends on the vacation. If I am just laying around the beach, doing ordinary, sedentary stuff, then I try to keep it normal. If we are in Europe or Disney or somewhere where we are on the move everyday and covering a lot of miles, I eat whatever I need to maintain stamina and splurge on whatever I want. 

Our last disney vacation, I came home down 6 pounds. 

Was your last Disney trip the marathon? That's cheating!

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

We went to Mexico last year and stayed in an all inclusive that had really good food.  The fruit that they provided at breakfast was awesome, I ate so much mango I should have turned orange!

Lunches were lighter and if there was guac out, I would make that with dipping veggies (and a few chips) lunch.  Dinner was a bit heavier, but for the most part, we bypassed the dessert buffet.  Other than the flan, I really didn't care for what they had out.

Our big failure was the soft serve ice cream.  Fortunately, it wasn't on all day!

For alcohol, I alternated with diet coke or water.

[whoisjohngalt]

Well, when I was young and single and THIN I ate whatever whenever.   Yes, there were some burgers and beers at 2.30am bc do you have any idea how hungry you get after drinking and dancing until 2am??

Now?  Who knows.  I haven't gone on real vacation in forever!

My guess is I will try to keep some normalcy bc  I don't want anyone puking from food overload or food they are just not used to.

So, while I am huge eating-out junkie, I am too nervous about letting my kids go wild for the whole fear of puking thing.

[NancysSummerSip]

DH and I have never been on what you would call a "restful" vacation. I have no idea what we would do at a resort or on a cruise ship, lying around with girlie drinks in hand. That would be strange. Maybe we should try it out just once anyway.

We walk or use public transit when we travel, if possible. In Toronto, we had no choice, because we had no car. In a week, we lost 10 pounds between us. The cold weather helped (more calories burned), and while the food was good, we try to make "trade-off" choices. We indulge in one item, but eat normally the rest of the day. We tend to avoid impromptu food stops. As a food writer, I am always looking for new food products, but I usually buy what I can take home safely, rather than stuff I have to eat on the spot.

[Deleted]

Apr 19, 2014 15:39:20 GMT -5 NancysSummerSip said:

DH and I have never been on what you would call a "restful" vacation. I have no idea what we would do at a resort or on a cruise ship, lying around with girlie drinks in hand. That would be strange. Maybe we should try it out just once anyway.

DH and I aren't into that, either- probably one reason we've never been to Hawaii and I've been to the Caribbean only on business.

One thing this discussion reminded me of was the talk on cruisecritic about food and drink on cruises.   For some, it seems like the unlimited food is the reason for the cruise (although it appears that the budget lines have really cut back on the quality in the dining rooms that don't carry a surcharge).  For others, you start with a mimosa at breakfast, gin & tonic or wine/beer at lunch, tropical drinks by the pool, more booze with dinner and after dinner... I get a migraine just thinking about it.

DH and I like our food and alcohol but I just don't think we're capable of excess.