How do you keep eating healthy while at WDW?

[MissDaisyofTexas]

Hi all--

We're going to Disney World in April and I'm trying to figure out a plan for eating healthy while we are there. What are your tips for not over-indulging? Also, is there anywhere online that lists the menus and calories for WDW restaurants?

Thanks!

 

[FireDancer]

I think it is very easy to eat healthy at WDW if you make that a priority. Here are a couple of tips to help you along:

If you are eating at a buffet remember to practice portion control. Ideally you would not have the worst offenders on the line and stick with the healthier options. If you want to try some of those high calorie offenders take small portions. I like to use a salad plate instead of a dinner plate because it will make smaller portions appear larger

Disney is very good about substitutions and alterations. A meal that comes with a heavy sauce can be made much healthier with that sauce omitted. The same goes for side dishes. Ask for vegetables instead of fries at the TS restaurants.

Look out for desserts. If there is a fresh fruit option of a sorbet take that over the cheesecake. If there are two of you and you really want the cheesecake get one and split it.

There are some restaurants that have more healthy options than others. By top picks are Boma, Tusker House, Restaurant Marrakesh, The Wave, Kona, the sushi restaurant in the Poly, and the Garden Grill.

If you are going to be doing more walking at WDW then you would during a normal day you can increase your caloric intake in proportion. Here is a chart showing about how many calories you burn per mile based on pace and weight. Lets say you weight 140lbs and walk at 2mph. That means you will burn 80 calories per hour. If you normally walk 2 miles per day but at Disney walk 5, that mean you can eat an extra 240 calories and keep your calories in vs. calories out the same. A mistake a lot of people make is thinking they are walking twice as much so they can eat twice as much. That will just result in a calorie surplus. A pedometer can give you an accurate pace and total distance.

The first and most important thing you are already doing, and that is being conscious of the pending pitfalls and planning accordingly.

 

[disneylovin24]

I've never seen calorie counts already WDW, but they should have them! I never thought of it untill now!!

 

[FireDancer]

I've never seen calorie counts already WDW, but they should have them! I never thought of it untill now!!

I would be 100% for this but there is a problem with accuracy. Unlike packaged foods or foods you make yourself the calorie counts at restaurants are dependent on the chef. In many cases two people at the same table could get the same meal and have two different calorie counts. One could have a larger than average piece of meat or an extra table spoon of sauce.

The nutritional information would also be set ahead of time by the original plan of the meal. If a chef makes subtle substitutions the count may be way off. The way I handle it when I am tracking my calories is to base it on the meal and it's parts. If you know what is on the plate you can probably use some estimations to get pretty close. Of course knowing exactly what is on your plate isn't always easy.

 

[MissDaisyofTexas]

Thanks for the feedback!

 

[NeverlandClub23]

I never like to over-induldge, even on vacation. I hate that heavy, weighed down feeling. I typically pack some granola bars for something quick and light in the morning. We usually do two TS meals a day but I try to stay away from the buffets. For all TS meals I tell myself I have the following options:

1) I can order a entree sized salad
2) I can order an appetizer
3) If I'm feeling ravenous, I can order an appetizer and a side salad or veggies
4) I can split a meal if someone else wants to split

Most of the CS places have healthier options, like a salad or Turkey sandwich. If I got a meal with the apples on the side, I'd just eat the sandwich and save the apples for later.

I try to share all snacks or desserts. I LOVE the cinnamon roll at the Main Street Bakery so I share it with my Mom and still feel satisfied. I also, and this drives my Mom crazy, will throw away half of whatever I'm eating if no one wants to share. There's a few treats I love that I can never get anyone else to share so I eat half of it and throw it away (I hate carrying things around the park, I don't even carry a purse, so I'm definitely not lugging it around to take back to the room for the next day). I know it's wasteful but I'd rather be healthy than save a $1.

I find I also feel a lot better, no matter what I eat, if I hit the gym in the morning/afternoon at the resort. Even if it's only for 30-45 minutes I feel so much better. Last August I walked the pathway from POR to POFQ and around each resort several times and worked up a good sweat and enjoyed exploring the resorts and the peacefulness of it all. I run a lot at home so all of the walking around the parks doesn't feel like I'm really doing anything. I like to add in things that actually get my heart rate going and that I'm sweating not just because it's hot outside.

If you do a buffet I would recommend a two plate rule. One plate with only healthy things, salad, fruit, etc. Wait about 10 minutes in between and then go get the other things you were looking at but just a few bites of each. And remember to eat slowly and stop when you're full! I used to be the WORST over-eater, I wouldn't stop until my stomach felt like it was going to explode. I started to eat slower by taking a drink of water in between every bite and really recognizing when I felt full.

 

[MissDaisyofTexas]

If you do a buffet I would recommend a two plate rule. One plate with only healthy things, salad, fruit, etc. Wait about 10 minutes in between and then go get the other things you were looking at but just a few bites of each. And remember to eat slowly and stop when you're full!

Great tip about buffet eating! We already have 3 buffets scheduled as a family so I needed a strategy for those. Thanks!