Order from your inner menu

January 14th, 2010

hawaiilunch Order from your inner menu

Alright kids, I’m blogging from Hawaii today. What can I say, I miss you guys!

It’s totally amazing here. It’s warm and breathtakingly beautiful and peaceful and quiet (we’re on the Big Island) and I love every second. Today I did yoga on the beach and we’re going to go snorkeling and to see the volcano and…

Moving on. We must! This isn’t a travel blog!

Traveling makes eating healthy harder, I think. Don’t you? When I’m confronted with restaurant menus meal after meal my stomach starts rebelling big time. So when I travel, I’m pretty hard core about finding food that’s going to make me feel good. Sometimes that means driving to a natural food store and stocking my room with fresh fruit, Ezekial cereal and Lara Bars or whatever I can find.

Sometimes, it means tapping into my inner menu when the waitress comes by.

Because I don’t want to eat another hamburger! And I can’t stand the thought of a Cobb Salad covered in cheese right now. A hummus plate sounds good but those white flour pitas won’t do me any favors.

It’s a blessing to be reminded of why I choose to eat the way I do. One day of white bread and meat at every meal is a big reminder that my body (though perhaps not yours) does better with fewer animal products and more whole grains and leafy greens.

So it’s lunch. I look at the menu and put it down. Look again, put it down. Finally I ask the server for some hummus…with brown rice and steamed broccoli. Is that possible I ask? She seems relieved I didn’t ask for Kobe beef or truffle oil or something like that. Brown rice? Broccoli? Simple enough. Sure.

Ahhhh. I feel better already. Real, simple, whole food. Now I can enjoy myself on vacation without painful stomachaches or low energy.

Do you know what foods make you feel your best? How do you handle traveling and eating out?

On this vacation I’ve also enjoyed shrimp tempura, king crab legs and plenty of dessert. So I’m no purist. Just gotta get back to basics every 2 or 3 meals to keep myself functioning properly.

Aloha!

** PSSSSST have you entered to win a free DVD from Gaiam? Get to it! Click here to enter.

** ONLY 6 SPOTS LEFT in my small group health counseling program! Sign up quick – we start soon. Details here, or email me!

16 Comments restaurant, travel, whole grains

  • http://bfitby40.blogspot.com brenda

    Hawaii sound so nice right now!! Eating out on vacation is very hard for me. I think the best thing I can do is to plan ahead as much as possible so I’m not at a loss looking at a new menu.
    Looks like you are relaxing! And that lunch looks yummy :)

  • http://www.simpledaisy.blogspot.com simpledaisy

    How awesome it would be to be in Hawaii!!
    For me…I feel best with eating 5-6 times a day and not too much at any one time! I also do best with very little starchy carbs. Eating on vacay is very challenging for me!! I do like fish..so I focus on that and lots of greens and fruits!!
    Have a great time:)

  • http://letthemeatlentils.wordpress.com LC

    I’m thinking Hawaii might have some delicious fruit options for breakfast and snacks! I think my biggest problem would be wanting all the fruity cocktails in the evening.

  • http://momgrind.com/ vered | blogger for hire

    “One day of white bread and meat at every meal is a big reminder that my body (though perhaps not yours) does better with fewer animal products and more whole grains and leafy greens.” – for me it’s sugar. One day of eating too much sugar, feeling sluggish and suffering headaches and I know why I need to skip those sugary breakfasts!

  • http://www.dariacancook.com Daria @ Daria Can Cook

    Oh wow, Hawaii…what a place to be in January! Enjoy it to the max!

    I try to strike a balance between enjoying local delicacies and eating healthily when I travel. In Paris I had almond croissants for breakfast every day, because seriously, French butter is the best thing in the world, but I made sure to balance it out with a high vegetable intake for the rest of the day.

  • http://fortunavirilis.blogspot.com Katie

    I need to learn to order what I really want at restaurants. I’ve been travelling a ton for the last month and have eaten a bunch of crap (with a few healthy meals thrown in here and there. I can’t wait to get back to my normal routine

  • http://YogaDemystified.com Bob Weisenberg

    Somehow it’s just not convincing when you say, “I miss you guys”!

    Bob Weisenberg
    http://YogaDemystified.com

  • http://gnowfglins.com/ Wardeh @ GNOWFGLINS

    Wow, Hawaii! I don’t like to travel much at all. I like our food and I like to fix it and I like to be home. :) I do alright food-wise at my parents’ house but eating out especially is challenging. Sometimes it is good to stretch out – at the least, it makes you realize how good home is. Enjoy the rest of your vacation! I enjoyed reading about your travel eats.

  • http://barbarahealth.blogspot.com/ Barbara Sinclair

    I have been dreaming about Hawaii for the past year (never did before!) and it seems to be calling me. Anything is possible! Enjoy the sunshine and fresh air. My friend lives on one of the smaller islands and goes foraging for fruit. Maybe you could do that….. :)

  • http://nourishedfitness.com Alyson

    Great picture! Over the last year or so I’ve really learned to start listening & being more aware of what my by wants and how it responds to different foods. It makes such a world of difference. Have a wonderful trip!

  • http://www.fresh365online.com fresh365

    I am very jealous! I am never too hard on myself during vacation when it comes to food. I usually get a ton of exercise (walking & exploring) so I know it’ll all even out in the end. Have a wonderful time!

  • http://www.eatmovewrite.blogspot.com Jasmine @ Eat Move Write

    How do I handle traveling and eating out? I don’t! Ok, well… I try, but I usually end up just trying to watch portions and accepting that a week or so of restaurants won’t kill me. I love your pic. I’m jealous.

  • http://www.theemotionmachine.com Steven | The Emotion Machine

    Simple and effective advice for healthy eaters who find themselves on the road a lot. Thanks for sharing!

  • http://www.purposepowercoaching.com Chris Edgar

    Don’t we get the recipes for those tasty morsels that are on top of you in the picture? Ah, I’ll let it go until you’re back from vacation. :)

  • http://www.fakefoodfree.com Lori

    For me, it all depends on where I’m traveling too. If it is international or tropical, I eat what they eat as much as is possible. Cultural experience of food is important to me. However, that becomes difficult when at a resort, we experience that when we go to the Caribbean. We typically make sure we fit in some greens in and eat a lot of fruit at breakfast, then we let go and enjoy.

    My most interesting experience with this was when we traveled SE Asia in Oct. Thailand had so much produce mixed into meals. Once in Singapore, the food was awesome, but a lot more oil and less produce it seemed. I was surprised at how much my body noticed this in the way I felt. I was glad to return to Thailand at the end of our trip for all those veggies!

  • Tim

    When traveling one can often ask for a refrigerator for the hotel room if there isn’t already one. Then it’s just a matter of finding a grocery store or market. I often did this when traveling within the US.
    I will agree that eating the culturally is a part of the experience and do so whenever possible. Even as a vegetarian in Costa Rica was I able to do this.
    When the cultural eating experiences include Cobb Salad, Hamburgers or anything served with fountain cola, I respectfully decline.

Bookmark and Share