Best HEALTHY-ISH CS in each park? Opinions?

[PrincessTigerLily]

Hi everyone! For our counter service meals we want to try to stay on the healthier side, away from the usual hotdog and burger route, so in your opinion what are your favorite healthier meals at the counter services in each park?

 

[tluvstink]

Tusker House is my all time favorite The rotisserie chicken and salmon are very good. I know Pecos Bills may not be the first thing to come to mind for healthy options but there is a salad there that is great! I have heard really good things about Columbia Harbor House but don't know first hand because my DH doesn't want to eat there

We do TS at MGM and EPCOT so no advice there. But there are tons of places in EPCOT to choose from.

Terri

 

[Ms. Heimlich]

We ate at the sunshine seasons several times - i had a salmon dish with mashed potatoes and micro greens that i really enjoyed.

it also had a chicken ceasar salad my DD loved!!

Hope you have a great trip!

 

[simonkodousek]

Remember, salads aren't always the best healthy meal option. A lot of salads, especially chicken ceasar's, are drenched in high-fat and calorie dressing.

~Simon

PS: Epcot has so much to choose from, you are bound to find at least one healthy item. At MK, just go light on the snacks, and have a low fat, high fiber breakfest!

 

[castleri]

The sunshine seasons food fair in the land at EPCOT has some very good choices with salads and sandwiches. Tusker House at AK , Columbia Harbour House and Cosmic Rays at the MK have some good choices. MGM is not one we have done much CS at so can't really comment. You may want to check out the menus here on the DIS and on allearsnet.

 

[KQAN]

I love the Columbia Harbor House in Magic Kingdom. The Lighthouse Sandwich is the best: hummus and broccoli slaw on multigrain toast.

In Epcot, the Morocco CS has nice platters - I get the platter with hummus, tabouleh, pita bread, other types of salads...very good and healthy.

Several of the burger places in MK (such as Cosmic Ray's and Pecos Bill) have veggie burgers, which contain much less fat and cholesterol.

 

[HopperFan]

I love eating all the big salads. Almost every place has good one. Love the one at Columbia Harbor, Pecos had a good one, MARA at AKL has a good one.....I just keep trying them all

 

[Amy&Dan]

Tusker House for the salmon or chicken.
Flame Tree BBQ, has a nice smoked turkey sandwich.
Pecos Bills has a chicken wrap, but to be healthy you have to ask them to leave off the 1/2 cup of mayo on it!
Sunshines Seasons in Epcot has some nice choices.
The food court grab n go sandwiches are great, the food courts also have fruit cups, skim milk, small cereal boxes, low fat pudding cups and a bunch of other stuff that is healthy.
Columbia Harbor House for the hummus sandwich, but once I smell the grease of fried fish its hard to resist !
And my old standby, chicken caeser salad, dressing on the side. I dip my fork in it and use about 1 or 2 teaspoons top by doing this. Really any salad is okay if you do this on the side, dip the fork routine.

 

[Harambe]

Each park also has some sort of fruit kiosk, where fresh fruit is available for snacking. And many places have sugar-free desserts (at MGM, Backlot Express has a sugar-free strawberry parfait).

 

[nbodyhome]

Remember, salads aren't always the best healthy meal option. A lot of salads, especially chicken ceasar's, are drenched in high-fat and calorie dressing.
!

Right - I am surprised at the number of people who say they are having salads instead of a regular meal for lunch, a lot of salads are going to be less healthy than just having a lean steak.

I wish Disney would post nutrition. I don't know how much salt, or butter, etc. an item has been cooked in. A lean steak cooked in a lot of butter won't obviously be as healthy. Sunshine Season has some very good choices, though I don't know how much sodium might be in the soup. I like the cous cous at Morocco, but I don't know how healthy their version is. So I just do the best I can! I'll often get a slice of pizza on the Boardwalk - some protein, some carbs, and it holds me a few hours. The sandwiches at the BC Marketplace look good too. I like the chicken noodle soup at Cosmic Rays too, lots of chicken (at least the last time I went). I sometimes get kids meals also, just to keep my calorie count down (and to get some grapes and unsweetened applesauce, which I really like better than most anything else!)

 

[Prinny27]

I definitely have to say Columbia Harbor House in the MK. Everything on the menu is reasonably healthy, but the thing I look forward to getting every trip is the Garden Galley Salad. It has so much in it - grilled chicken, pineapples, nuts, feta cheese, and the best vinagrette dressing. It's really filling, and even my DF, who is NOT a salad person, winds up eating half of mine every time.

 

[MickeyNicki]

MK - Chilled Chicken wrap at Peco Bills

EPCOT - caesar salad and a cup of soup from Sunshine Seasons

 

[popstar7867]

My boyfriend and I are fitness nuts and try to stay on our diet plan while on vacation. Here are some healthy finds that we found in the parks:

Magic Kingdrom: Pecos Bill salad without dressing or chicken wrap without dressing.

Epcot: Sunshine Seasons Chicken ceasar salad with no dressing

MGM: Backlot Express Turkey sandwich on multigrain bread

Animal Kingdom: Flame Tree BBQ Turkey sandwich or salad with light or no dressing

A lot of people are right about salads here- the dressings are usually very high in fat (especially ceasar dressing) and usually contain high fructose corn syrup which is a highly processed form of sugar found in most processed foods. At most CS restaurants you can request the salad with no dressing or light dressing which will cut down on calories. Salads are a good choice when eating healthy though because they keep you filled up and are a good source of protein (chicken, steak, tuna, salmon) and veggies!

Another tip is asking to substitute french fries for baby carrots or fruit. A lot of CS restaurants offer those selections with kids meals and we had no problem substituting fries for healthier sides.

Each park also has a fruit stand which will keep you energized throughout the day!

 

[Ciciwoowoo]

And my old standby, chicken caeser salad, dressing on the side. I dip my fork in it and use about 1 or 2 teaspoons top by doing this. Really any salad is okay if you do this on the side, dip the fork routine.

I do this too! I learned this little trick in Weight Watchers. I don't really worry about dressing anymore because it enables me to consume very little dressing with my salad. Every bite has yummy dressing now, and it saves some calories!

On the subject of healthy CS... I really enjoy all the salads the CS places offer! They are quite yummy, and yes, I do get the dressing on the side. A lot of the salads also contain tree nuts (walnuts, almonds), which I'm allergic to, so I also have them leave those out.

 

[KKB]

I ordered a Cobb at a local restaurant on my bday & my mom said, "Oh, you are so good!" NOT REALLY, MOM! LOADED with cheese, bacon...I don't think so! (even with my dressingn on the side!)

BUT if you choose lean proteins, ANY veggies, nuts (limited amounts), light dressing or dressing on the side that you dip your fork into, it is an excellent low fat, high protein meal. Cheese is OK (high fat, but good source of dairy & protein) if you can limit the amounts...tough when they are just dumping a handful on. You could ask for on the side, too.

Obviously fruits & veggies are usually good choices (watch the dressings or butter). Sandwiches with lean protein, either dump the bun or get whole grain w/ no mayo. My key is to avoid "white" carbs. But hey, I'm on vacation, and the world has some great food, so I'm gonna enjoy!