Healthy eating at Disneyland?

[kyra's mommy]

Hi,

Recently I have had some health issues based on a very toxic acne drug called Solodyn (Minocycline), so do not take it!! My liver is slightly enlarged and my liver enzymes and white blood counts are off. While the gasteroenterologist feels that I will probably be okay (we are hoping for no drug induced hepatitis or lupus) and can resume eating normally I don't want to. Ever since I found out my enzymes were raised I have been eating a very strict diet to cleanse my liver, no sugar no salt and lots of fruits and vegetables. I'd like to be as healthy as I can while at Disneyland. I have never cared before what I ate there and so I really have no idea if there are healthy options. We are leaving next week, can anyone tell me if they have found good choices and what they were?

Thanks!

 

[TotalDreamer]

Hi, what a coincidence that you started this thread as I just started planning out heathy options today. Ive been eating really "clean" and I just casually checked out some healthier options - here's a very rough list of what I came up with ( I just jotted down things that I would personally eat, I'm a pescatarian by the way):


At DCA:

- Paradise garden grill:

Mediterranean Skewers
Each platter includes Rice Pilaf, Cucumber Salad and Pita Bread


Step 1: Select Your Favorite
Grilled Steak
Lemon-Oregano Chicken
Beef Kefta (Spiced Ground Beef)
Vegetable and Tofu

Step 2: Select a Sauce
Moroccan Chili
A Spicy Sauce with Tomato, Harissa Chili, and Garlic
Chimichurri
Fresh Herbs, Citrus, Garlic and Olive Oil
Tandoori-Spiced Yogurt
Tumeric, Coriander and Spices
Tzatziki
Cucumber, Garlic, Lemon Juice, Greek Yogurt

Greek Salad
A blend of Fresh Greens, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Red Onions,
Pepperoncini, Marinated Olives, Feta,
with Lemon-Oregano Dressing and Pita Bread.


- Pacific Warf Cafe:

Asian salad, veggie chilli bowl

- Boardwalk Pizza & Eats:

Salads

- Lucky Fortune Cookery:

Edamame - slightly salted and served chilled
Fresh Mango Slices $3.69

- Clarabelle's

Mixed berry sorbet dipped in dark chocolate


Do you have any specific foods or ingredients that you know aren't good for you? I'm still looking at menus, so maybe I can help more.

Here's the site I got the menus from: http://allears.net/dlr/din/menu/menus.htm#dca

 

[kyra's mommy]

Hi, what a coincidence that you started this thread as I just started planning out heathy options today. Ive been eating really "clean" and I just casually checked out some healthier options - here's a very rough list of what I came up with ( I just jotted down things that I would personally eat, I'm a pescatarian by the way):


At DCA:

-Paradise garden grill:

Mediterranean Skewers
Each platter includes Rice Pilaf, Cucumber Salad and Pita Bread


Step 1: Select Your Favorite
Grilled Steak
Lemon-Oregano Chicken
Beef Kefta (Spiced Ground Beef)
Vegetable and Tofu

Step 2: Select a Sauce
Moroccan Chili
A Spicy Sauce with Tomato, Harissa Chili, and Garlic
Chimichurri
Fresh Herbs, Citrus, Garlic and Olive Oil
Tandoori-Spiced Yogurt
Tumeric, Coriander and Spices
Tzatziki
Cucumber, Garlic, Lemon Juice, Greek Yogurt

Greek Salad
A blend of Fresh Greens, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Red Onions,
Pepperoncini, Marinated Olives, Feta,
with Lemon-Oregano Dressing and Pita Bread.


- Pacific Warf Cafe:

Asian salad, veggie chilli bowl

- Good looking salads @ Boardwalk Pizza & Ears

- Lucky Fortune Cookery:

Edamame - slightly salted and served chilled
Fresh Mango Slices $3.69

- Clarabelle's:

Mixed berry sorbet dipped in dark chocolate


Do you have any specific foods or ingredients that you know aren't good for you? I'm still looking at menus, so maybe I can help more?

Here's the site I got the menus from: http://allears.net/dlr/din/menu/menus.htm#dca

Oh my gosh! NICE! I am so excited. Thanks for all those options, they look really yummy. I didn't think it was possible, lol. I was really afraid there wouldn't be anything genuinely healthy, not meals just posing as healthy.

 

[TotalDreamer]

Oh my gosh! NICE! I am so excited. Thanks for all those options, they look really yummy. I didn't think it was possible, lol. I was really afraid there wouldn't be anything genuinely healthy, not meals just posing as healthy.

Lol I had actually thrown healthy eating out the window until I decided to just try and see what I could find - looks pretty good to me.

I'm happy to share what I find! I don't have any medical problems that limit my diet, but I am sensitive to blood sugar imbalances - I follow a generally low glycemic diet so that's what I'm basing my choices on. Though I will let myself have some yummy Disney treats I want my main meals to be healthy.

You can also ask for sauces on the side so that way you can measure it out yourself if it's one that's too sugary or something.

And you can always call ahead to restaurants and see what they can do for you.
We're eating at Wine Country and I think I'm going to call and see if they happen to have any whole wheat or gluten free pasta.

 

[starry_solo]

DL also sells fresh fruit too.

 

[TotalDreamer]

Something else I thought of is ordering off the kids menu. When I first started eating healthy I wasn't a vegetarian and every time we went out to eat I would just order kids chicken tenders/nuggets with veggies or fruit. If anyone has a problem with it (usually Disney didn't) just tell them you have a medical problem or that it's for portion control and they should let you.

At Disneyland:

There seem to be plenty of good salads around at both parks and I also know there's stands that sell fruit/veggie cups.

I'm happy to see that at Carnation Cafe they have a chef's vegan burger (on a multi-grain roll)! I never noticed that before. You could probably ask for a regular burger or sandwich on a multi-grain roll then too.

For salads they have:

Warm Spinach Salad with Grilled Chicken - Grilled Chicken, Spinach, Boiled Eggs, Sauteed ****ake Mushrooms, and Pickled Onions tossed with Warm Pancetta-Mustard Seed Vinaigrette.

Romaine Salad with Shrimp - Succulent Shrimp, Romaine, Avocado, Red and Yellow Tomatoes, Hickory-smoked Bacon, and Blue Cheese with Creamy Ranch.

At Rancho Del Zacolo

They have Citrus Fire-Grilled Chicken - 1/2 Chicken, seasoned in a savory marinade of cumin, garlic, cilantro, lemon & lime.

It comes with Mexican Rice and Refried Beans, but sautéed Vegetables may be substituted for Rice and Beans.

And they also have "fresh tropical fruit" as a side.

 

[MsDisATC]

I'm also a pescatarian, and I really love eating at DLR, haha. I definitely enjoy the veggie chili from the Wharf, one of my favorites. I also wanted to toss in a suggestion for the Crescent City salad from Cafe Orleans in DL. You can get it with either chicken or salmon (or without either I would assume), and you can also ask for no dressing or dressing on the side. It does have a lot of sweet ingredients like grapes and oranges in it, but it is a good hearty lunch salad.

And I wanted to second ordering off the kids menu. That can sometimes be healthier and help with portion control if needed. The Kid's Power Pack which is available at most counter service locations is just a wonderful small meal or snack for any time of day even for adults.

 

[DTDkettleCORNfan]

Troubador Tavern (near the Princess Fantasy Faire) has baked potatoes. Last year we got them plain (no butter). They also have broccoli as a topping, but I didn't get that (so I can't comment if it was cheesy or buttery). But the potato was good, and we paid less than the menu price since we ordered it plain.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

i just want to wish you luck with your med issues. I too just found out i have some issues we hope it will be nothing bad but im due for tests, for a fast heart beat. I do hope you find what you can eat and you still have a fun time.

 

[kyra's mommy]

i just want to wish you luck with your med issues. I too just found out i have some issues we hope it will be nothing bad but im due for tests, for a fast heart beat. I do hope you find what you can eat and you still have a fun time.

I am wishing you luck too and I'm sending prayers your way.

 

[dana278]

I'm so sorry you are having all of these problems because of Solodyn. How long were you taking it for? I was on mine for six months several years ago (also for acne) and while it did clear up my skin beautifully, THANK GOODNESS I didn't have any serious side effects. (The only thing I noticed was that my skin became super sensitive. If someone just touched my arm it felt like they were pounding me with a hammer.) Anyways, I was foolish and didn't do any research back then, but after the six months I happened to go on their website and read that the safety of the drug past 12 weeks hasn't been studied and is not known. When I went to my dermatologist with this info she was just like "oh, really? I didn't know that!" I was out of there so fast!

I actually see that you are in Gilbert. I don't suppose your dermatologist is/was at the Skin & Cancer Center?

 

[tinkermomma]

I am wishing you luck too and I'm sending prayers your way.

I wish you both good luck and will be thinking good thoughts for both of you!

Another idea is to ask for your meals (the ones posted are AWESOME) without seasoning and bring a salt free seasoning like mrs. dash with you.

Good luck

 

[Eclectic Goddess]

As a vegetarian with some strong food aversions who likes to eat healthy, I found that the trick was to go through the menus in advance and make a list of the dishes I wanted to try and where I could get them.

I take that list with me to DL, and when I find myself hungry, I can pull it out and decide where to eat! It's much easier than going from place to place looking at menus in the hopes of finding something. That almost always resulted in eating something I didn't really want, just so we could stop looking.

Also, if you're planning ahead and making reservations at one of the table service restaurants, don't be afraid to mention your food issues. They've always been very happy to make something off the menu, and then, hey, you got a special Disney meal!

 

[JadeDarkstar]

thanks

 

[DisneytheKid]

Wow! Great list!

Hi, what a coincidence that you started this thread as I just started planning out heathy options today. Ive been eating really "clean" and I just casually checked out some healthier options - here's a very rough list of what I came up with ( I just jotted down things that I would personally eat, I'm a pescatarian by the way):


At DCA:

- Paradise garden grill:

Mediterranean Skewers
Each platter includes Rice Pilaf, Cucumber Salad and Pita Bread


Step 1: Select Your Favorite
Grilled Steak
Lemon-Oregano Chicken
Beef Kefta (Spiced Ground Beef)
Vegetable and Tofu

Step 2: Select a Sauce
Moroccan Chili
A Spicy Sauce with Tomato, Harissa Chili, and Garlic
Chimichurri
Fresh Herbs, Citrus, Garlic and Olive Oil
Tandoori-Spiced Yogurt
Tumeric, Coriander and Spices
Tzatziki
Cucumber, Garlic, Lemon Juice, Greek Yogurt

Greek Salad
A blend of Fresh Greens, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Red Onions,
Pepperoncini, Marinated Olives, Feta,
with Lemon-Oregano Dressing and Pita Bread.


- Pacific Warf Cafe:

Asian salad, veggie chilli bowl

- Boardwalk Pizza & Eats:

Salads

- Lucky Fortune Cookery:

Edamame - slightly salted and served chilled
Fresh Mango Slices $3.69

- Clarabelle's

Mixed berry sorbet dipped in dark chocolate


Do you have any specific foods or ingredients that you know aren't good for you? I'm still looking at menus, so maybe I can help more.

Here's the site I got the menus from: http://allears.net/dlr/din/menu/menus.htm#dca

 

[kyra's mommy]

I'm so sorry you are having all of these problems because of Solodyn. How long were you taking it for? I was on mine for six months several years ago (also for acne) and while it did clear up my skin beautifully, THANK GOODNESS I didn't have any serious side effects. (The only thing I noticed was that my skin became super sensitive. If someone just touched my arm it felt like they were pounding me with a hammer.) Anyways, I was foolish and didn't do any research back then, but after the six months I happened to go on their website and read that the safety of the drug past 12 weeks hasn't been studied and is not known. When I went to my dermatologist with this info she was just like "oh, really? I didn't know that!" I was out of there so fast!

I actually see that you are in Gilbert. I don't suppose your dermatologist is/was at the Skin & Cancer Center?

I was on it for approximately a year and a half. I asked her after about six months if it was really okay to be on this medication for an extended time. I had also looked it up and I was concerned that it had only been tested for twelve weeks of use. She told me that it was fine and plenty of people had been on it for a decade. Also, I get laser hair removal and I would stop the Solodyn for two weeks prior to any treatment. When I told her that she said it wouldn't affect the laser treatment and to stop getting off of the Solodyn. It was like an order "stop getting off of the Solodyn". She felt it was ruining the results because I would break out every time I got off. Anyway, fast forward to today and I waiting out this period to see if I am going to have long term damage or if I'm lucky and dodged a bullet ( which feels very literal at the moment ). Since my numbers spiked I have done some research and this drug is very dangerous. I can't believe they would give people something for acne that could put them in liver failure. I don't think that makes any sense. It's not like a drug for advanced heart disease where you may die without the drug. This is for pimples, why put someone at risk?

My dermatologist isn't in Gilbert. She's in Ahwatukee. I would drive 25 minutes away to be poisoned, lol. I'm a little bitter at the moment. Are you in Gilbert too?

 

[pixiewings71]

Just a quick fyi, at places with burgers (Village Haus, Hungry Bear, Taste Pilots Grill) you can ask for veggie burgers and they will make you one. Just so you know. Good luck to you!!

 

[kyra's mommy]

Just a quick fyi, at places with burgers (Village Haus, Hungry Bear, Taste Pilots Grill) you can ask for veggie burgers and they will make you one. Just so you know. Good luck to you!!

That's good to know.

 

[RandFamily]

I think you'll be delighted with the food choices. I'm a vegetarian and a bit of a health nut and I have found it very easy to get healthy food at DL. I especially found the fruits to be terrific and available all over.

Good luck with your trip - I hope you are fully healed soon!

 

[DisneyCrazyMom22]

I also suffered serious problems fro minocycline. It caused my spinal cord fluid to not drain correctly(pseudotumorcerebri) giving me serious headaches, and putting pressure on my optic nerves which affected my vision. I had to have fluid drained through a spinal tap to correct my issues! Not fun! Wishing you the best!